Inappropriate Conversations

Lent Roll - Week 8, MON

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:06:00 -0400

"Christ is my center but ... my boundaries are permeable."
Kimberly Knight

Matthew 28:16-20 (The phrase “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” might lead to many understandings of the word “nations” for Biblical times and today, but “Go” seems absolutely unambiguous)

Lent Roll - Week 8, SUN

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:07:00 -0400

“If it is an error for some Christians to make relative what God has made absolute, it is equally an error to make absolute what God has left relative."
Os Guinness

John 20:1-18 (“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him”)

Lent Roll - Week 7, SAT

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:10:00 -0400

"Consequences. Do we still believe in consequences? No matter; they still believe in us."
-Greg

Mark 15:25-47 (Darkness at noon, torn curtain in the temple, stone blockade)

Lent Roll - Week 7, FRI

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:06:00 -0400

"Often, when someone dies, we feel a combination of love and something else, and this, too, is holy. And entirely human. And they don’t cancel each other out. Love and anger. Love and disappointment. Love and emptiness. We always love imperfectly. It is the nature of human love. And it is okay. But despite all the love in the world, when it comes down to it, none of us can know the reality of another."
Nadia Bolz-Weber

John 19:1-37 (when Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished”)

Lent Roll - Week 7, THU

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:03:00 -0400

"Lord, please shine a light of hope on those of us who fall behind. And when we stumble in the snow, could you help us up while there's still time?"
Stephanie Davis

Luke 23:39-43 (“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”)

Lent Roll - Week 7, WED

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:01:00 -0400

"My prosecuting room still holds a strand of her hair in evidence."
Al Stewart

Matthew 27:11-26 (warned about his wife’s dream and seeing there was nothing he else he could do, Pilate washed his hands of accountability for the fate facing Jesus)

Lent Roll - Week 7, TUE

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:56:00 -0400

“Yes, a man is a dangerous thing. So is a scalpel. It can wound or it can save your life. You don't make it safe by making it dull; you put it in the hands of someone who knows what he's doing.”
John Eldredge

John 18:1-11 (Jesus told Peter to put away his sword, and we should understand that having a weapon does not mandate using it … as opposed to turning the other cheek and leaving fate in God’s hands – the cup the Father has given)

Lent Roll - Week 7, MON

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:53:00 -0400

"Some deny Jesus by saying they never knew him. Others deny Jesus by insisting that they are the only ones who 'really do' know him."
-Greg

Matthew 26:31-75
Mark 14:26-72
Luke 22:31-62
John 13:36-38
John 18:15-27
(perhaps denying Jesus is so significant that it appears in every Gospel)

Lent Roll - Week 7, SUN

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 01:49:00 -0400

"Imagine if every church became a place where everyone is safe, but no one is comfortable. ... We might just create sanctuary."
Rachel Held Evans

Mark 14:12-25 (we usually think a large gathering of friends or family should, by its nature, be harmonious; on the other hand, betrayals in situations like this are Biblical)

Lent Roll - Week 6, SAT

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:46:00 -0400

“Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.”
Corrie ten Boom

John 13:1-35 (through foot washing as an example of serving one another, Jesus tells disciples that they, and we, should do the same)

Lent Roll - Week 6, FRI

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:43:00 -0400

“I questioned the faithful of all communions; I particularly sought the society of clergymen, who are the depositaries of the various creeds and have a personal interest in their survival. As a practicing Catholic I was particularly close to the Catholic priests, with some of whom I soon established a certain intimacy. I expressed my astonishment and revealed my doubts to each of them; I found that they all agreed with each other except about details; all thought that the main reason for the quiet sway of religion over their country was the complete separation of church and state. I have no hesitation in stating that throughout my stay in America I met nobody, lay or cleric, who did not agree about that.”
Alexis de Tocqueville

Matthew 26:14-16 (to betray Jesus, the chief priests paid Judas 30 pieces of silver)

Lent Roll - Week 6, THU

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:41:00 -0400

"If you make it impossible for people to make you happy, then people will lose interest in whether you are happy or not."
-Greg

John 21:15-19 (after breakfast, Jesus tells Peter that the way to love him is to care for the flock he described in John 10, one that included sheep Peter may not have considered to be eligible to join into one flock)

Lent Roll - Week 6, WED

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:37:00 -0400

"Once I get them to tell me about the God they don't believe in, it turns out I don't believe in that God either."
Susan Russell

John 21:1-14 (after His death and resurrection, after appearing to Mary and others, Jesus surprises his fisherman followers when he stops for a seaside breakfast meeting)

Lent Roll - Week 6, TUE

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:34:00 -0400

"The door is only as open as the mind inside the office."
-Greg

Luke 24:13-35 (Jesus met some of his followers, probably not inner circle but believers, as they walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus; they didn’t recognize him)

Lent Roll - Week 6, MON

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:31:00 -0400

“People who wish to be offended will always find some occasion for taking offense.”
John Wesley

John 20:19-31 (the demand of Thomas for proof and evidence gives us the name Doubting Thomas, along with the meme “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”!)

Lent Roll - Week 6, SUN

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 01:27:00 -0400

"I remember the time that you told me, you said, 'Love is touching souls.' Well, surely you touched mine because part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time."
Joni Mitchell

John 4:1-30 (despite what most evangelicals today would describe as “living in sin” when she met Jesus at a well, He sent this Samaritan woman off to share the Gospel, telling people in her town Whom she had just met … and He didn’t order her first to move out of her living arrangement or “sin no more”)

Lent Roll - Week 5, SAT

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 01:24:00 -0400

"Old James Dean Monroe hands out flowers at the Shop-N-Go, hopes for money but all he gets is fear. And the wind blows up his coat, and this he scribbles on a perfume note: 'If I'm not here, then you're not here.'"
Sheryl Crow

Matthew 28:11-15 (the right amount of bribery can hide/ignore almost anything)

Lent Roll - Week 5, FRI

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:21:00 -0400

"I rope-a-dope with righteous bobbin' and weavin', and let the good get even."
Chuck D. (Carlton Douglas Ridenhour)

Mark 15:16-20 (abuses of power included assault, spitting, mocking, and more)

Lent Roll - Week 5, THU

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:18:00 -0400

"But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] brought in upon a platter, I am no prophet -- and here's no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, and I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, and in short, I was afraid."
T.S. Eliot

Matthew 14:1-14 (it’s shocking that the execution of a prophet as a prize for an impromptu dance at a birthday isn’t the most offensive thing about the fate of John the Baptist, whose head was “served” on a platter before party guests)

Lent Roll - Week 5, WED

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:15:00 -0400

"Sometimes shalom is disruptive. Sometimes peace making makes people uncomfortable. Sometimes these are conversations we'd rather not have or truth we would rather not acknowledge. Speaking truth to power is rarely comfortable for anyone."
Sarah Bessey

Matthew 12:1-14 (whether by healing people or picking grain, Jesus broke the law constantly in the eyes of his legalistic critics)

Lent Roll - Week 5, TUE

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:12:00 -0400

"Far from saying in defeat that we should not worry about the poor, since they will always be among us, Jesus is pointing the church to her true identity—she is to live close to those who suffer."
Shane Claiborne

Matthew 26:6-13 (while arguing over the cost of perfume, the disciples seemed to miss Jesus predicting his imminent funeral)

Lent Roll - Week 5, MON

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:08:00 -0400

"Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him?"
Oswald Chambers

Matthew 14:22-33 (Peter couldn’t walk on water by himself, only through Jesus)

Lent Roll - Week 5, SUN

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:05:00 -0400

"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."
Paul of Tarsus

Romans 13:8-10 (love is the fulfilling of the law, doing no wrong to a neighbor)

Lent Roll - Week 4, SAT

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:02:00 -0400

"[Jason Varitek] … He caught it!"

Luke 18:15-17 (faith needs to include the awe and wonder of childhood)

Lent Roll - Week 4, FRI

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:58:00 -0400

Lent Roll - Week 4, THU

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:55:00 -0400

“We do know that no person can be saved except through Christ. We do not know that only those who know Him can be saved by Him.”
C.S. Lewis

John 14:1-14 (when Jesus says He is the Way, He is not identifying gatekeeping rules that even He must obey as our Lord; He is telling us that He picks the Way)

Lent Roll - Week 4, WED

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:52:00 -0400

"What do you think it's gonna do when I live by faith and now my work is through? It's gonna rain! … I'm so happy to say, it's gonna rain on the world today."
Gordon Gano

Genesis 6:9-7:24 (flood continued for 40 days, and waters swelled on the earth for 150 days)

Lent Roll - Week 4, TUE

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:47:00 -0400

"Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
Amos of Tekoa

Amos 5:21-24 (it’s not about festivals, assemblies, songs or offerings; it’s about justice)

Lent Roll - Week 4, MON

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:44:00 -0400

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
Aristotle of Stagira

Proverbs 13:13-17 (teaching of the wise is a fountain of life)

Lent Roll - Week 4, SUN

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:27:00 -0500

"Why were we put here? What for? We're unsure. We sure weren't put here to hate."
Nate Albert and Dicky Barrett

Matthew 7:13-23 (knowing them by their fruit, there are some who claim the name of the Lord but Jesus has said he won’t even recognize them)

Lent Roll - Week 3, SAT

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:23:00 -0500

"You cannot ask Jesus into your heart alone. He will ask, 'Can I bring my friends?' You will look at his friends -- the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed -- and you will hesitate. But Jesus is clear, 'Only if I can bring my friends.'"
Peter Storey

John 10:14-16 (“I have other Sheep,” Jesus said. “I must bring them also”)

Lent Roll - Week 3, FRI

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:20:00 -0500

"I see anger as a complex series of body changes triggered off by a sudden awareness of danger. This reaction to stress can be regarded as our survival kit, shared in some measure with all living creatures. All of us live, to some extent, in danger."
David R. Mace

Ephesians 4:26 (the old adage about not going to sleep angry is directly Biblical)

Lent Roll - Week 3, THU

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:15:00 -0500

"Whether we can take 'a life for a life' is one question; whether we should is another. Cain and Abel pose an answer. Rather than taking life for life and delivering a powerful message by killing Cain, God instead banished Cain from the community. To say the least, we must not be cavalier about death penalty decisions."
-Greg

Genesis 4:13-16 (mark of Cain directly dismisses any death penalty rule)

Lent Roll - Week 3, WED

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:12:00 -0500

"Honesty is not the best policy because of the pitfalls of lying; it is best because of the feeling of being deeply and genuinely known."
-Greg

Ephesians 4:25 (speak the truth because we are part of one another)

Lent Roll - Week 3, TUE

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:09:00 -0500

"Life's an essay test; we're obliged to give essay answers."
-Greg

Acts 17:16-34 (I proclaim to you now what you worship as Unknown)

Lent Roll - Week 3, MON

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:05:00 -0500

"It's the things which aren't said that do the most damage."
Luc Longley

Acts 4:1-22 (we cannot keep from speaking about what we’ve seen and heard)

Lent Roll - Week 3, SUN

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:02:00 -0500

“The world is like a book that can be read in either direction. There is the power of creation, to make something of nothing. And there is the power of destruction, to make nothing from something.”
Rebbe Pinchas of Koretz

Galatians 5:13-26 (works of the flesh versus fruits of the spirit)

Lent Roll - Week 2, SAT

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:59:00 -0500

"I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel of Jerusalem

Ezekiel 36:25-28 (a new heart and a new spirit as a baptism of sorts)

Lent Roll - Week 2, FRI

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:55:00 -0500

"I wasn't voted most likely to succeed. Instead, it was most likely to be found on a mountaintop in Guadalajara writing the world's most profound three-word sentence."
-Greg

Mark 9:2-13 (when they looked around, they saw no one else with them anymore)

Lent Roll - Week 2, THU

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:52:00 -0500

"As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence."
Benjamin Franklin

Luke 12:8-12 (the Spirit will tell you what to say)

Lent Roll - Week 2, WED

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:48:00 -0500

"Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen

Romans 5:1-11 (we were sinful when Christ stepped in)

TalkBack 53: Secular Visions of Divinity (and OneSong)

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:25:51 -0500

From a very young age, my parents used to say that they would always know where to find me if I had a record player and a stack of albums, almost any albums. Now, as then, I have thoughts about particular songs.

I have started something this year on Substack that I call "OneSong."
Each weekday, I'm recommending one song -- just one -- in a written blog between 300-500 words each.

OneSong:
https://substack.com/@gablanchard

Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pnCDYnh1HGshGbpBHYLme?si=305abc50d8ea4eb2

Lent Roll - Week 2, TUE

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:44:00 -0500

"We do not need to be rescued from God. God is the one who rescues us from death, sin, and destruction. God is the rescuer."
Rob Bell

Luke 15:1-7 (this fellow Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them, they said)

Lent Roll - Week 2, MON

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:40:00 -0500

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”
Carl G. Jung

2 Corinthians 13:5 (test yourself to see if you are living in the faith)

Lent Roll - Week 2, SUN

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 01:37:00 -0500

"Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect."
Peter of Bethsaida

1 Peter 3:13-17 (how to account for the hope that is in you)

Lent Roll - Week 1, SAT

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:54:00 -0500

“Love and the self are one and the discovery of either is the realization of both.”
Leo Buscaglia

1 John 4:7-21 (everyone who loves is born of God and knows God)

Lent Roll - Week 1, FRI

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:50:00 -0500

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
Henry David Thoreau

Mark 9:38-41 (we saw someone casting out demons in your name)

Lent Roll - Week 1, THU

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:19:48 -0500

"Men cannot see their reflections in running water, but only in still water."
Zhuang Zhou

Psalm 46:10 (be still, and know that I am God)

Lent Roll - Week 1, WED

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:18:16 -0500

"There's a saviour born every day in the valley of your soul."
Sophie B. Hawkins

John 3: 13-17 (God so loved the world that Jesus didn’t come to condemn it)

Lent Roll - Week 1, TUE

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:15:30 -0500

"Could I really be this thirsty if there weren't something more?"
Chris Rice

John 2: 1-11 (water into wine)

243: Unease of Being Green

Fri, 23 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400

I'm posting this on the Friday before a national holiday in the United States, thinking about "casual Friday" vibes. Perhaps a day like this might start with a team-building meeting, where one leader in the organization takes a turn sharing his story with everyone -- or everyone not taking vacation -- with the intent to drive commitment to our values and maybe answer questions from the room.

It's not easy being green.

Different Drummer: Colleen Camp

Great Commission (Lent Roll 49)

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Christ is my center but ... my boundaries are permeable."
Kimberly Knight

#IC 128: Proud to Know You (9/2/13)

Walk The Earth 11 (3/27/14)

#IC 85: What It Means to Worship (4/2/12)

Kimberly Knight on Patheos, 2012-2017

Spotify page for Inappropriate Conversations, Walk The Earth, Film Year podcasts

Resurrection Is a Comma (Lent Roll 48)

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

“If it is an error for some Christians to make relative what God has made absolute, it is equally an error to make absolute what God has left relative."
Os Guinness

John 20:1-18 (“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him”)

#IC 72: Truth or Consequences for Christians (10/26/11)

Os Guinness - Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to Do About It

Death and Burial, Not a Period (Lent Roll 47)

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Consequences. Do we still believe in consequences? No matter; they still believe in us."
The Author

Mark 15:25-47 (Darkness at noon, torn curtain in the temple, stone blockade)

#IC 23: Laws of Motion (8/7/10)

Sir Issac Newton

IC_Greg - "Laws Of Motion"

Crucifixion (Lent Roll 46)

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

John 19:1-37 (when Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished”)

#IC 227: Some Assembly Required, Chapter 5 (7/6/20)

#IC 222: Displeasure (1/9/20)

Nadia Bolz-Weber - Shameless

Nadia Bolz-Weber - Accidental Saints

IC_Greg - "Nobody's Child"

#IC 195: Telling Your Stories before it's too late (3/17/17)

Criminal Confession (Lent Roll 45)

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Lord, please shine a light of hope on those of us who fall behind. And when we stumble in the snow, could you help us up while there's still time?"
Stephanie Davis

Luke 23:39-43 (“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”)

#IC 5: The Least of These and Why Danzig's "Godless" Rocks (4/2/10)

#IC 163: It Is Not Who You Know (4/14/15)

Stephanie Davis - River of No Return

Garth Brooks - No Fences

Danzig - III How the Gods Kill

Puzzling Evidence (Lent Roll 44)

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"My prosecuting room still holds a strand of her hair in evidence."
Al Stewart

Matthew 27:11-26 (warned about his wife’s dream and seeing there was nothing he else he could do, Pilate washed his hands of accountability of the fate facing Jesus)

#IC 203: Some History There (9/29/17)

#IC 81: Singing a Song for Lovers (2/11/12)

Al Stewart - Love Chronicles

Original Cast Recording - Jesus Christ Superstar

Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber - "Pilate's Dream"

Resisting Arrest (Lent Roll 43)

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

#IC 45: Macho Weaknesses (2/3/11)

#IC 106: The Violence of Denial (12/1/12)

John Eldredge - Wild At Heart

John Eldredge - Epic

Denial (Lent Roll 42)

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Some deny Jesus by saying they never knew him. Others deny Jesus by insisting that they are the only ones who 'really do' know him."
The Author

Matthew 26:31-75
Mark 14:26-72
Luke 22:31-62
John 13:36-38
John 18:15-27
(perhaps denying Jesus is so significant that it appears in every Gospel)

Walk The Earth 43 (12/24/16)

Walk The Earth 45 (7/25/17)

Passover (Lent Roll 41)

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Imagine if every church became a place where everyone is safe, but no one is comfortable. ... We might just create sanctuary."
Rachel Held Evans

Mark 14:12-25 (we usually think a large gathering of friends or family should, by its nature, be harmonious; on the other hand, betrayals in situations like this are Biblical)

Walk The Earth page

Category Index for Walk The Earth

Foot Washing (Lent Roll 40)

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

John 13:1-35 (through foot washing as an example of serving one another, Jesus tells disciples that they, and we, should do the same)

#IC 10: Happy Mother's Day and 'A Handful of Hair' (5/8/10)

Corrie ten Boom - The Hiding Place

Selling Out (Lent Roll 39)

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Matthew 26:14-16 (to betray Jesus, the chief priests paid Judas 30 pieces of silver)

#IC 40: Other High Crimes (12/18/10)

Feed My Sheep (Lent Roll 38)

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"If you make it impossible for people to make you happy, then people will lose interest in whether you are happy or not."
The Author

#IC 192: 100 Ways (1/6/17)

Galatians 2

Acts 10:1-11:18

Fish Story (Lent Roll 37)

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Once I get them to tell me about the God they don't believe in, it turns out I don't believe in that God either."
Susan Russell

John 21:1-14 (after His death and resurrection, after appearing to Mary and others, Jesus surprises his fisherman followers when he stops for a seaside breakfast meeting)

Christianity 201: Time for Solid Food

#IC 131: Christianity 301 (10/22/13)

Rob Bell - Love Wins

Rev. Susan Russell

Emmaus Eyes Opened (Lent Roll 36)

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"The door is only as open as the mind inside the office."
The Author

Luke 24:13-35 (Jesus met some of his followers, probably not inner circle but believers, as they walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus; they didn’t recognize him)

#IC 92: Open Door Policy with the Boss (6/23/12)

#IC 146: The Idea of Christ (7/6/14)

242: Rambling About Tom

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 19:38:52 -0400

I honestly could describe this as a re-blogging, or re-broadcasting, of someone else's podcast.
Except for the occasional clip in compilation shows, I've never done this before. My friend Tom (The Ramble Redhead) died this month. Cancer took him quickly, and it was a shock to those who knew him and loved him. Wanting to hear his voice again and knowing his podcast was no longer available online, I went to my personal archives.

Past Ramble Redhead shows included interviews with Taylor from Pod Is My Copilot, Christina from Greetings From Nowhere, Toppie from The Smellcast, Margaret Cho, and more -- including me. The majority of this Inappropriate Conversations podcast is sharing Tom's interview with me from September 2015.
Those of us who knew Tom will never forget the redhead from Indiana who loved us all.

Different Drummer: Thomas Kiel

Thomas Scoffs (Lent Roll 35)

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

“People who wish to be offended will always find some occasion for taking offense.”
John Wesley

John 20:19-31 (the demand of Thomas for proof and evidence gives us the name Doubting Thomas, along with the meme “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”!)

#IC 47: Hypocrisy and Intensity (2/28/11)

Woman at the Well (Lent Roll 34)

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"I remember the time that you told me, you said, 'Love is touching souls.' Well, surely you touched mine because part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time."
Joni Mitchell

#IC 113: Raised on Robbery (2/15/13)

#IC 150: Opening the Scriptures (9/23/14)

Joni Mitchell - Blue

Report of the Burial Guard (Lent Roll 33)

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Matthew 28:11-15 (the right amount of bribery can hide/ignore almost anything)

#IC 196: The Sound of Protest (4/23/17)

Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow

Soldiers Mock Him (Lent Roll 32)

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"I rope-a-dope with righteous bobbin' and weavin', and let the good get even."
Chuck D. (Carlton Douglas Ridenhour)

Mark 15:16-20 (abuses of power included assault, spitting, mocking, and more)

#IC 17: Majority Rule and Minority Experience (6/30/10)

Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet

Getting a Head (Lent Roll 31)

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

#IC 75: Reason, but No Rhyme, to Poetry (12/3/11)

93: Poetry Providing Perspective (7/1/12)

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The Waste Land and Other Poems

Sabbath and Mercy (Lent Roll 30)

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Matthew 12:1-14 (whether by healing people or picking grain, Jesus broke the law constantly in the eyes of his legalistic critics)

#IC 223: Torment as Tactic (1/29/20)

Walk The Earth 44 (6/24/17)

Jesus Feminist

Field Notes for the Wilderness

Walk The Earth #6 (12/9/13)

#IC 134: Gender Segregation (12/14/13)

Poor Among Us (Lent Roll 29)

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Matthew 26:6-13 (while arguing over the cost of perfume, the disciples seemed to miss Jesus predicting his imminent funeral)

#IC 94: The Missionary 'Position' is Local (7/8/12)

#IC 143: Verticality of Time (5/13/14)

The Irresistible Revolution

Palm Sunday

His Honour (Lent Roll 28)

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Matthew 14:22-33 (Peter couldn’t walk on water by himself, only through Jesus)

#IC 146: The Idea of Christ (7/6/14)

My Utmost for His Highest

Law Fulfilled by Love (Lent Roll 27)

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."
Paul of Tarsus

Romans 13:8-10 (love is the fulfilling of the law, doing no wrong to a neighbor)

#IC 13: Companionship Marriage (5/31/10)

#IC 150: Opening the Scriptures (9/23/14)

Let the Children Come (Lent Roll 26)

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"[Jason Varitek] … He caught it!" Luke 18:15-17 (faith needs to include the awe and wonder of childhood) #IC 66: Child's Play and Imagination (8/24/11) #IC 67: Making the World Safe for Kids? (8/30/11)

Healing from the Roof (Lent Roll 25)

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"When he spoke it would raise the roof. Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth, but he made too many enemies of the people who would keep us on our knees." Andy Partridge Mark 2:1-12 (some religious people were unhappy at seeing miraculous healing) #IC 53: Secular Visions of Divinity (4/17/11) #IC 29: My Prayer for a Football Game (9/23/10) #IC 30: Establishment of Religion (9/30/10) XTC - Nonsuch

Jesus Picks the Way (Lent Roll 24)

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

“We do know that no person can be saved except through Christ. We do not know that only those who know Him can be saved by Him.”
C.S. Lewis

John 14:1-14 (when Jesus says He is the Way, He is not identifying gatekeeping rules that even He must obey as our Lord; He is telling us that He picks the Way)

#IC 20: Reading 'Chapter and Verse' on What I Don't Believe (7/20/10)

#IC 61: Impermanence of Time (6/27/11)

Mere Christianity

It’s Going to Rain (Lent Roll 23)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"What do you think it's gonna do when I live by faith and now my work is through? It's gonna rain! … I'm so happy to say, it's gonna rain on the world today."
Gordon Gano

Genesis 6:9-7:24 (flood continued for 40 days, and waters swelled on the earth for 150 days)

#IC 3: Light and Shadow (3/19/10)

Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground

Ever-flowing Stream (Lent Roll 22)

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
Amos of Tekoa

Amos 5:21-24 (it’s not about festivals, assemblies, songs or offerings; it’s about justice)

#IC 157: Letting Justice Roll (1/19/15)

#IC 231: Letting Justice Roll 2 (7/29/20)

Teaching of the Wise (Lent Roll 21)

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle of Stagira Proverbs 13:13-17 (teaching of the wise is a fountain of life) #IC 60: Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion - part 2 (6/15/11) A Return of Sorts – 10 Areas of Agreement (10/8/23) #IC 55: A Better Way to Debate (5/8/11)

Face It (Lent Roll 20)

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Why were we put here? What for? We're unsure. We sure weren't put here to hate."
Nate Albert and Dicky Barrett

Matthew 7:13-23 (knowing them by their fruit, there are some who claim the name of the Lord but Jesus has said he won’t even recognize them)

#IC 180: Jesus Quote Bubble (2/10/16)

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It

Jesus Has Other Sheep (Lent Roll 19)

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

John 10:14-16 (“I have other Sheep,” Jesus said. “I must bring them also”)

#IC 150: Opening the Scriptures (9/23/14)

Walk The Earth 29 (8/22/15)

Walk The Earth 30 (9/1/15)

#IC 172: Proud To Know You 2 (9/14/15)

With God in the Crucible: Preaching Costly Discipleship

Peter Storey

Be Angry but Not Sin (Lent Roll 18)

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Ephesians 4:26 (the old adage about not going to sleep angry is directly Biblical)

#IC 8: Christian Response to the Sexual Revolution … Or Not (4/24/10)

#IC 13 Companionship Marriage (5/31/10)

#IC 9: Overview of the Decades (5/3/10)

David R. Mace

Judgement Against Cain (Lent Roll 17)

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Whether we can take 'a life for a life' is one question; whether we should is another. Cain and Abel pose an answer. Rather than taking life for life and delivering a powerful message by killing Cain, God instead banished Cain from the community. To say the least, we must not be cavalier about death penalty decisions." The Author Genesis 4:13-16 (mark of Cain directly dismisses any death penalty rule) #IC 62: Protecting Society With, and From, Capital Punishment (7/14/11)

Speak the Truth (Lent Roll 16)

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Honesty is not the best policy because of the pitfalls of lying; it is best because of the feeling of being deeply and genuinely known."
The Author

Ephesians 4:25 (speak the truth because we are part of one another)

#IC 167: Speaking Truth to Power (6/18/15)

#IC 217: Right Reasons

To an Unknown God (Lent Roll 15)

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Life's an essay test; we're obliged to give essay answers."
The Author

Acts 17:16-34 (I proclaim to you now what you worship as Unknown)

#IC 1: Introduction to Inappropriate Conversations (3/7/10)

#IC 150: Opening the Scriptures (9/23/14)

#IC 97: Any One Being Ashamed (8/8/12)

Things Not Said (Lent Roll 14)

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"It's the things which aren't said that do the most damage."
Luc Longley

Acts 4:1-22 (we cannot keep from speaking about what we’ve seen and heard)

#IC 80: Revelation Weekend (2/5/12)

Walk The Earth 48 (11/18/17)

Lucien James Longley

Film Year 1926

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 08:06:00 -0400

The General,

Aloma of the South Seas,

Faust,

among others.

By Our Fruits (Lent Roll 13)

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Galatians 5:13-26 (works of the flesh versus fruits of the spirit)

#IC 21: Permanent Things I Believe (7/27/10)

Larry Crabb - The Silence of Adam

Rebbe Pinchas of Koretz

Sprinkling Clean (Lent Roll 12)

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Ezekiel 36:25-28 (a new heart and a new spirit as a baptism of sorts)

#IC 189: Apocalyptic Visions (9/20/16)

#IC 21: Permanent Things I Believe (7/27/10)

Walk The Earth 7 (12/26/13)

Transfiguration (Lent Roll 11)

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"I wasn't voted most likely to succeed. Instead, it was most likely to be found on a mountaintop in Guadalajara writing the world's most profound three-word sentence."
The Author

Mark 9:2-13 (when they looked around, they saw no one else with them anymore)

#IC 79: A Farewell Address from the Mountaintop (1/29/12)

#IC 90: Moments of Epiphany (5/23/12)

#IC 80: Revelation Weekend (2/5/12)

Spiritual Articulation (Lent Roll 10)

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence."
Benjamin Franklin

Luke 12:8-12 (the Spirit will tell you what to say)

#IC 21: Permanent Things I Believe (7/27/10)

#90 Moments of Epiphany (5/23/12)

Benjamin Franklin

While We Were Weak (Lent Roll 9)

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen

Romans 5:1-11 (we were sinful when Christ stepped in)

#IC 201: The Sound of Sustainability (6/14/17)

Leonard Cohen - The Future

Lost Sheep (Lent Roll 8)

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

"We do not need to be rescued from God. God is the one who rescues us from death, sin, and destruction. God is the rescuer."
Rob Bell

Luke 15:1-7 (this fellow Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them, they said)

#IC 131: Christianity 301 (10/22/13)

Rob Bell - Love Wins

Examine Yourselves (Lent Roll 7)

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0400

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”
Carl G. Jung

2 Corinthians 13:5 (test yourself to see if you are living in the faith)

#IC 44: Sacred Friendship (1/27/11)

#IC 227: Some Assembly Required, Chapter 5 (7/6/20)

C. G. Jung - Psychology and Alchemy

Gently and With Respect (Lent Roll 6)

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 04:01:00 -0500

"Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect."
Peter of Bethsaida

1 Peter 3:13-17 (how to account for the hope that is in you)

#IC 136: Converse or Convert (1/1/14)

#IC 131: Christianity 301 (10/22/13)

Love Boldly (Lent Roll 5)

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0500

“Love and the self are one and the discovery of either is the realization of both.”
Leo Buscaglia

1 John 4:7-21 (everyone who loves is born of God and knows God)

#IC 120: Making Contact (5/15/13)

Leo Buscaglia - Love (special edition)

Whoever Is Not Against (Lent Roll 4)

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0500

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
Henry David Thoreau

Mark 9:38-41 (we saw someone casting out demons in your name)

#IC 2: The Author and Different Drummer (3/14/10)

Henry David Thoreau - Walden

Be Still (Lent Roll 3)

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0500

"Men cannot see their reflections in running water, but only in still water."
Zhuang Zhou

Psalm 46:10 (be still, and know that I am God)

#IC 44: Sacred Friendship (1/27/11)

Zhuang Zhou - Zhuangzi

God's love (Lent Roll 2)

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0500

"There's a saviour born every day in the valley of your soul."
Sophie B. Hawkins

John 3: 13-17 (God so loved the world that Jesus didn’t come to condemn it)

#IC 81: Singing a Song for Lovers (2/11/12)

Sophie B. Hawkins - Tongues and Tails

Water into wine (Lent Roll 1)

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 05:01:00 -0500

"Could I really be this thirsty if there weren't something more?"
Chris Rice

John 2: 1-11 (water into wine)

#IC 118: Where Would I Be Without God? (4/8/13)

Chris Rice - Past the Edges

Inappropriate Conversations website

Film Year 2003

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:04:00 -0500

Lost in Translation,
The Return (Vozvrashchenie),
Memories of Murder,
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,
Dogville,
among others.

241: Rolling Into Lent

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:05:00 -0500

The apparently upcoming demise of a former employer has led me to thoughts about topics I've sidestepped in the past on Inappropriate Conversations, keeping work and personal life separate. Perhaps it makes no sense to protect an organization that no longer exists, and I don't think the stories I could tell are really that embarrassing. I consider them to be more revealing about the gap between what a group says it values compared to the culture it actually creates.

If that's an Inappropriate Conversations show update, then the update for Walk The Earth is about a plan for daily "devotional" podcasts during Lent, starting on "Fat Tuesday" and ending on the Monday after Easter.
Lent Roll.
The inspiration for such short 2- or 3-minute shows came from the Different Drummer this week, someone I don't even know by name.

Different Drummer: (j)ula of soundwavesoffwax

Film Year 1925

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:24:20 -0500

Battleship Potemkin,
The Gold Rush,
The Big Parade,
The Lost World,
among others.

Film Year 2004

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:12:53 -0500

The Incredibles,

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,

Downfall,

Brothers,

among others.

Film Year 1924

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:27:33 -0500

Sherlock Jr.

Greed

The Enchanted Cottage

The Thief of Bagdad

among others

Film Year 2005

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:28:52 -0500

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Serenity
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
among others

Walk The Earth 62

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:55:17 -0400

Whether words of Truth become false based solely on who is speaking?

Film Year 1923

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Our Hospitality
Safety Last!
The Grub-Stake
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate
The Street
among others

Film Year 2006

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Stranger Than Fiction,
After The Wedding,
The Lives Of Others,
Children Of Men,
among others.

Film Year 1922

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:16:00 -0400

Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler,
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror,
Nanook of the North,
Haxan, among others.

Walk The Earth 61

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:41:37 -0400

Whether Christians should reject atonement because it is unfair to all who lived and died in the distant past without being washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Film Year 2007

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:33:06 -0400

No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, Once, among others.

Film Year 1921

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 11:57:40 -0400

The Kid, The Phantom Carriage, Destiny, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, among others.

240: Targeted Incentives

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 05:55:00 -0400

I suspect we know few, if any, people who have directly caused inflation. When it comes to pushing the button that raises prices in hundreds of stores, though, I am that exception. Whether economic pundits on talk shows want to acknowledge it or not, my reasons were simple and obvious. It was crucial to update prices in stores to cover the cost of tariffs, the kind of "across the board" tariffs that one presidential candidate is proposing to impose (again). Just because something is regrettable doesn't mean it wasn't necessary.

Different Drummer: Joseph R. Biden

Film Year 2008

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 05:40:00 -0400

Waltz With Bashir, Milk, Synecdoche, New York, The Dark Knight, among others.

Film Year 1920

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:01:00 -0400

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Mark of Zorro, Way Down East, The Scarecrow, among others.

Film Year 2009

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Up, The White Ribbon, A Serious Man, among others.

239: Film Years

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:01:54 -0400

The next podcast I post will be a new short-form considering movies by year. I'm not replacing Inappropriate Conversations or Walk The Earth, just adding something new. The starting point will be Film Year 2009.

Different Drummer: Charles Tashiro

Note: the first half of this episode raises questions about the consequences of a recent Supreme Court decision, and I don't know the answer for how this will impact governing in the United States. By my reckoning, things certainly could get very ugly. Consequences are not bound by our lack of accountability.

Walk The Earth 60

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 14:56:16 -0400

Whether reaching out in love to LGBTQ+ people is following Christ?

Past episode: Walk The Earth 54

238: Sliding Gently into Third

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:59:43 -0400

Is "Shut up and kick" the correct response to recent statements by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker? Was that the correct response in recent years to USA soccer star Megan Rapino?
That, and the "Shut up and dribble" replies to Lebron James, were just as wrong regardless the type of questions or comments being spoken into microphones.

Having said that, it is completely unacceptable to suggest that counter arguments to ideas raised in a public speech are out of line. If a celebrity like an athlete wants to start a conversation, then shutting down that conversation as contrarian push-back is, at the very least, hypocrisy. Only one instance of free speech is being defended in that situation.

Granting that commencement addresses are among the worst forms of public speech, let's have an inappropriate conversation about ironic notions like "staying in your lane" and extend it a bit. I'll bet we can take Butker's commitment to boldly challenging false assumptions in a direction where his supporters would surely insist that "You shouldn't be allowed to say that!"
Such is freedom of speech.

Different Drummer: Steven Stapleton

Nurse With Wound list of musicians and influences

NWW - Terms and Conditions Apply

NWW - The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion

237: Viewing Close as a Passenger

Sun, 12 May 2024 06:01:00 -0400

Feeling challenged in more than one way, I'm recommending the 2022 movie Close as one of the best films in years. It directly reminded me of a past Inappropriate Conversations podcast with Mark Greene as the Different Drummer. His work, and the director of Close, directly refer to this episode's Different Drummer, too.
I was reminded of my childhood, at the same age as the central characters in the film, and a sense of disconnection that came from a change in school districts.
I also was challenged by how our defense mechanisms seem to presume something inappropriate (directly or indirectly incestuous) might make an unwanted appearance in the plot of a film like this. I don't blame the filmmakers. It's more the way our society is driven to sexualize, seemingly, everything, even when nothing of the sort is going on.

Different Drummer: Niobi Way

The Project for the Advancement of our Common Humanity

236: 42 Questions

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0400

"Each juror who is seated in the jury box will be asked to answer the following 42 questions." Well, what would you do if called to answer these questions? That can be answered. What I don't know is whether my answers would have kept me in the jury pool or not.

Different Drummer: S. Epatha Merkerson

#IC 113: Raised On Robbery

235: Transactional Friendship

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 13:13:00 -0400

In 1986, I wrote an essay in a letter exchange with a friend. I haven't shared it here. Reasons why aren't important. I called it "Love and Contemporary Inter-Sexual Friendship" and many of the concepts noted in this podcast -- and, to be fair, other past podcasts -- reflect the same ideas as that essay written almost four decades ago. These thoughts are both conscious and subconscious, which will be obvious from this dream scenario.

I do not view friendship as a give-to-get concept. I don't keep score, or I try not to. My beliefs are focused on creating better relationships, a better sense of community, and perhaps a better world.
I saw a quote by the poster of an online video about the different drummer this week that sums this up quite well: "She heals things she didn't break" (Aranez). We need more of that, in the midst of far too many people who are cynical about it.

Different Drummer: Taylor Swift

Talkback: Walk The Earth 49

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:22:54 -0400

Perhaps without thinking it through, the Alabama supreme court has taken conservative pro-life arguments about "personhood" to a logical extreme. The initial result was banning all in vitro fertilization procedures in the state, their jurisdiction. The Alabama legislature may believe they have "saved the day" by quickly passing a law to shield those using IVF from prosecution or consequences, but they've done so by deciding which "children" in their state can be killed with impunity. If the hastily passed legislation doesn't sound sufficiently pro-life, that's because it is not.

All of this ignores the core question the Alabama justices got wrong: do we really believe frozen embryos should be viewed the same as children with full personhood, etc.? This past Walk The Earth question is worded more directly:
Whether you would let a dozen people die to save a thousand frozen embryos?

Tomorrow's Edition

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:10:27 -0400

As a journalism student in 1983, I already knew that I had no interest in television news. I could see the direction cable "24 hour news" networks were going, and I didn't like it. Perhaps there were signs I wasn't happy with a newspaper career path either. It wasn't clear to me then, though, how much truth gets revealed through fiction.

Make Up

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 09:23:06 -0400

Surrealism or Dadaism can be as simple as having a strange dream and writing it down, or close to it.
Apologies, pun intended, if "Make Up" is merely that simple. I won't try to make it something more with compromise or cosmetics.

Sounds Like a Serious Offense

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 10:06:14 -0400

"Sounds Like a Serious Offense" has not come up before in poetry-focused episodes of Inappropriate Conversations, and that's mainly due to the use of rape as a literary comparison. It's uncomfortable, and I would never want to dilute the meaning of such a heinous crime. Having said that, I've had conversations with people of both genders who have been used, manipulated, and socially shunned. This is how they feel.

A Belated Happy Birthday

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:38:02 -0500

Accepting the notion of Eternal Now from Boethius and others, we have known the people we love most deeply for much longer than we acknowledge or understand.
"A Belated Happy Birthday"

Tithe

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:32:17 -0500

How we read a poem and how we read a hymn are very different things. Mixing that up intentionally can produce interesting, or taxing, results.
"Tithe"

Unrequited Love

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:04:15 -0500

In perhaps an equal and opposite reaction to Valentine's Day as a concept, the poem "Unrequited Love" is -- whether romantic or not -- deeply sad, in my opinion. It's open to interpretation, of course. One interpretation is the death of a friendship.

Third Person

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:50:59 -0500

I believe the out-of-place feeling between leaving school and being established in a vocation is universal and remains relevant, if not more than just relatable, today. The same cannot be said for postal concepts like "six to eight weeks for delivery."

A Simple Yes Or No

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:28:32 -0500

A few weeks ago, I posted one of the longest pieces of fiction I've written. This is one of the shortest, composed in the simplest way possible, using only simple sentences.

Some Assembly Required

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 14:47:59 -0500

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent) was completed on April 1, 1994.
It's nonfiction title was Temptations from the Wilderness II, a second Lenten writing experiment. This one was a jumble of 40 different writing styles during Lent of that year, including traditional omniscient narration of plot-driven action, a recipe, sermon, poetry, drum music, and more.

Three years ago, these eight chapters were shared in a serialized form of sorts through seven Inappropriate Conversations episodes -- each with its own Different Drummer, etc. This file pulls the entire novella, such as it is, together.

Laws Of Motion

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 09:26:54 -0500

I've long believed that something more personal and profound is identified within Isaac Newton's laws of motion. This three-stanza poem looks inwardly at each theory.

Inappropriate Conversations #23

A Handful of Hair

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 10:03:22 -0500

Especially on a holiday weekend, I suspect a scene like this plays out all across the world. A baby sleeping in mother's arms is gently taken by a father (in this case) to bed, gently and quietly to not interrupt the slumber. In my family, that simple transfer from one parent to another was often more delicate than it sounds -- a disentaglement of sorts.

Christmas from Crimes Against Food

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 09:56:01 -0500

I don't like it when podcasts I enjoy disappear. Even if they gracefully pod-fade, I've been known to wait weeks or months before finishing the last episode. It's worse when things stop abruptly.
One thing I'm thankful for each Christmas are the parts of lost shows I've been able to save via a clip show. I'll link to that "best of" episode below. And I don't want to name any part of that retrospective of a lost network as "best of the best" either. But Christmas doesn't seem complete without this story from the long-gone Crimes Against Food podcast.

Inappropriate Conversations #178

Where 16 = Forever

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:21:19 -0500

Here is a short, sweet origin story for the most important relationship of my life, including a key tie-in to Christmas Eve.

Chapter And Verse

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 08:42:04 -0500

Perhaps the true will of God is written between the lines.

Words Per Minute

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:35:18 -0500

Whether a typing exercise might become a manifesto.

Authorial Intent

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 21:38:38 -0500

(A Neosurrealist Revising a Will from His Death Bed)

The Author, 1979-1986

Part Time (March 13, 1986)

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 09:25:15 -0500

While this neo-surrealist, and formalist, short story dates back to 1986, it was World Storytelling Day 2016 that led me to read it out loud.

#IC 181

Stop The Bleeding

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 09:21:39 -0500

It's definitely a cliche, but this is based on a true story.

Disappear Here

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:29:56 -0400

The concept of "reunion" can generate a very specific type of anxiety. For me, it has always been an underlying sense of wanting to be there and wanting to be invisible at the same time. That paradox has inspired essays, some short fiction, and this poem.
"Disappear Here" (1989)

122: 'Past Tenths' of 'Disappear Here'

Old-School Thrillers Need To Rise From The Dead

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 08:34:20 -0400

For this perspective on how modern horror movies have squeezed out traditional thrillers, I've called the selection a 6-pack while sneaking in a few extras within the anthology film entry. The essay was written in 1999 and shared on an Inappropriate Conversations podcast in 2012.

The films:
A Cold Night's Death
Carnival of Souls
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Scarlet Claw
The Other
Asylum
The House That Dripped Blood
Trilogy of Terror

#IC 103: The Thriller Is Gone

Well, It’s In The Bible

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 09:28:26 -0400

Solomon's Song Of Songs

Man: Greg
Woman: Karen
Friends: Laura

https://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/81-singing-a-song-for-lovers/

A Return of Sorts - 10 Areas Of Agreement

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 15:26:48 -0400

As I've noted in the (old, but) most recent Inappropriate Conversations podcasts, work-life balance and other issues have led to a pause in postings. Work-life balance has shifted again, recently. I can't say yet whether or when this will lead to new episodes of Inappropriate Conversations or Walk The Earth, but I do now that content will be starting to flow again.

Starting today, I'm planning to post at regular intervals.
During what turned out to be a hiatus, I pulled the plug on promotional clips of past podcasts on SoundCloud. The IC_Greg account there is gone. That experience did lead me to create stand-alone files for some work, including speeches, poetry, and prose.

I'll begin with "10 Areas of Agreement about Abortion" as a consolidation of a two-part podcast topic from 2011. Because our national dialog has not progressed much on the issue since the 1970s, the argument still seems somewhat fresh in spite of ignoring a decade of recent current events.

Thanks for listening!

234: Differences That Make a Difference

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:20:27 -0400

It's a sinking feeling to realize your actions would be the same if you were trying to undermine your values, that just doing what you've always done fits a narrative you would reject if given a chance. Sometimes the matter can be as small as "has my show pod-faded without me realizing?". Sometimes it's a matter of life and death where thoughtless actions line up with death, even unintentionally. Slight differences in choices or behavior can change things for the better. Failing to take such action, whether bold or benign, should lead us to a crucial question: how would I have behaved differently if I'd intended to do such harm?

Different Drummer: David Hayward

About NakedPastor

Walk The Earth podcast page

Pride48 live streaming 2022 event

233: Judicial Abuse

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 19:54:05 -0400

The politics of abortion has long been a game of state legislatures passing laws they know are unconstitutional. It's a bit like asking a question over and over again when you already know the answer. The situation has now devolved into something worse, an abuse of concepts like "standing" and "damages" in civil litigation. And the current U.S. Supreme Court seems to be aiding and abetting Texas in what could be called, at best, a foolish mistake.

Different Drummer: George Carlin

Your questions about Texas' new abortion law, answered

TalkBack 48: Four Things I Know

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 16:57:17 -0400

One reason to share this early episode of Inappropriate Conversations is the way the Different Drummer segment relates part of a story I've revisited in multiple ways -- my testimony, so to speak. I intend to "TalkBack" to other episodes in upcoming months that tell the story more directly. Another reason is the topic itself: types and forms of knowledge. Along those lines, new introductory material looks at opposition to vaccination from a perspective that, frankly, presumes hypocrisy. Many of the same people who were enthusiastic about following the ex-president quickly through Operation Warp Speed are the ones who seem more interested in undermining the new administrative branch than saving their own lives. It's almost as if this is more about who is president than about the positive impact of vaccination during a pandemic.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/48-four-things-i-know/

TalkBack 107: Eulogy for Homophobia

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 08:08:00 -0400

It's always a risk to post a TalkBack episode from almost 9 years ago without reviewing it first. For Pride this year, I'm taking that risk. Since #IC #107 focused on moments in my past I'm not proud of, interacting with gays without recognizing and checking my ingrained homophobia, I figure this one would have embarrassing elements either way. It is a direct follow-up to the previous TalkBack episode. These two Inappropriate Conversations were intentionally released in the same week originally. There is a connection, along with a follow-up to one story in an episode that would follow a month later.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/107-eulogy-for-homophobia/

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/112-saying-no-to-myself/

TalkBack 106: The Violence of Denial

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 20:14:16 -0400

My plan is to observe Pride this year with TalkBack episodes that address homophobia pretty directly. This one is my rejection of someone I've named a Different Drummer in the past. His podcast hesitantly, but I also would say proudly, proclaimed some highly misinformed views about human biology, scripture, and more. I believe the result, if not the intent, could be very harmful to a broad range of LGBTQIA* people. So, as an ally, I spoke up. It wouldn't be the last time, either.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/106-the-violence-of-denial/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 26

Tue, 18 May 2021 05:05:00 -0400

In 2021 for most American Christians, Christmas will be celebrated on December 25th. No surprise there. For those with good recent memory, Easter was celebrated on April 4th. Not as easy to recall as 12/25, but a simple date to find on any secular calendar. This upcoming Sunday, May 23rd, is Pentecost. I'd bet that very few Americans know that, including politically-active Christians who are outspoken about perceived attacks like "cancel culture" as a form of marginalization. I'd argue that the Holy Spirit is far more marginalized than any church group, often by church groups.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-26/

TalkBack 9: An Overview of the Decades

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 17:39:04 -0400

There is a certain laziness in summing up an entire decade to a simple phrase, like "the Me Generation" for example. At the same time, we sometimes miss the connections in how one sub-generation reacts to what they see from the group before them, too old to be peers and too young to be elders.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/9-overview-of-the-decades/

Don't Discount Evangelicalism as a Factor in the Racist Murder of Asian Spa Workers in Georgia this year

TalkBack 8: The Christian Response to the Sexual Revolution ... or Not

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:35:52 -0400

I have a sense that I have maintained a fairly consistent worldview despite knowing that I've continued to grow and evolve. New information, encountering different people, and challenging assumptions will do that. One way to consider the scale of any shifting perspectives is this TalkBack series. What did I have to say on a topic like this in 2010? And if my position has remained fairly consistent, then what does that say about how American Christianity has shifted from where it was a decade ago, or in 1970?

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/8-christian-response-to-the-sexual-revolution-%e2%80%a6-or-not/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 25

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 23:54:44 -0400

Considering whether Easter is the most important day on the church calendar, I lay some groundwork on the difference between a disciple having a Good Friday worldview versus an Easter worldview. Even this comparison feels too narrow, not quite a false dichotomy but insufficiently broad in perspective. The answer to which day on the church calendar I find to be the most significant probably explains why.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-25/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 9

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 22:36:09 -0500

It's too easy within the church and among politically-active Christians to find examples of people preaching that children should be "seen and not heard" rather than smiling and saying "let the children come" as Jesus did. Then again, these are many of the same people who want to make it a crime (in Georgia, for one example) to give free water or snacks to anyone stuck in an hours-long line on election day. Make me think they have no idea what Jesus said about feeding hungry people or giving the thirsty something to drink ... or what Jesus warned he would do, as Lord and judge of all, to those who refused to offer such grace.
I wonder what Jesus would do to those who presume to make it a crime to extend his love in tangible forms like food and water?

TalkBack 66: Child's Play and Imagination

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:11:22 -0500

This early Inappropriate Conversations episode gently suggests that we don't value imagination sufficiently in a world where entertainment is as pre-packaged as it is today. We take our fun seriously, as Jello Biafra once sang for Dead Kennedys. Perhaps the introduction to this TalkBack episode implies that too many adults are waiting for directions, hesitant to hold elected officials accountable or literally following marching orders to "take back your country" by putting up a "fight" at the U.S. Capitol. The fine line here is somewhere between too much misguided imagination and not enough genuine inspiration.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/66-child%e2%80%99s-play-and-imagination/

Audio Promo: #IC 233

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:01:22 -0500

Next up on Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth: pandemic lockdown in perspective, and some TalkBack episodes.

Some Assembly Required (A Neosurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

TalkBack 60: Abortion Agreements, Part 2

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 01:01:00 -0500

Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion, Part 2

Or,

both parts edited together for SoundCloud

TalkBack 59: Abortion Agreements, Part 1

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:11:04 -0500

Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion, Part 1

Or,

both parts edited together for SoundCloud

232: Indecision 2020

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:13:28 -0500

How to summarize everything related to the 2020 presidential election in the United States? So much happened from before November 3rd until today, January 20th, and yet so little seemed certain along the way. One thing is certain: 11,780 additional votes in Georgia wouldn't have accomplished anything for the former president, and the fraud he was pushing certainly wasn't worth the risk of criminal charges. Reasons should be obvious, but I cover some anyway.

Different Drummer: Stacey Abrams

ALL IN: The Fight for Democracy

TalkBack 134: Gender Segregation

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 05:05:00 -0500

As they were in December 2013, this episode of Inappropriate Conversations and the previous Walk The Earth post are back-to-back within a few days for a reason. The experiment then was looking at ways women have been walled off from leadership in the church from both a religious perspective (#wte) and this more open-ended #IC approach. I had not yet envisioned the long-form Opening The Scriptures episode, but this is clearly a precursor. It's worth noting that the subsequent 3.5-hour podcast looking at the Bible has been broken into six more manageable parts, available on the feed at Spotify and elsewhere from January 2019.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/134-gender-segregation/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 6

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 21:21:41 -0500

Ignoring the spiritual gifts of women is a mistake I do not tolerate. While this wasn't foremost in our minds when my family left one congregation, and denomination, to find a new church home. As this early Walk The Earth episode documents, it quickly became impossible to ignore -- sometimes from first impressions, but often from more lasting ones.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-6/

TalkBack13: Companionship Marriage

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:33:32 -0500

Finding things to be thankful for will be a challenge for many in 2020. It has been a difficult year. An argument can be made that the trend over several years has been challenging. This TalkBack episode returns to the first May of Inappropriate Conversation, including what I am most thankful for.

Authorial Intent (A Neosurrealist Revising a Will from His Death Bed)

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/13-companionship-marriage/

TalkBack 55: A Better Way to Debate

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:12:00 -0500

I never took a class in debate or participated in a club when I was in school. I've also never seen it as some sort of sport. To me, matters worth debating should be taken more seriously than that, and we ought to commit to higher standards than anything we've seen on television in decades. I'm not only referring to the presidential election cycle. No, my complaint covers punditry today in its entirety.

Introductory material includes perspectives on this and the previous presidential election, recorded on the official election day in 2020 with important references to past Inappropriate Conversations podcasts.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/55-a-better-way-to-debate/

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/190-dear-family-member/

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/195-telling-your-stories-before-its-too-late/

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/24-elections-are-not-horse-races/

TalkBack 152: Anticipating The Bang

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:06:00 -0400

We have become so accustomed to the twist ending that some film critics seem to dismiss films from recommendation for no other reason. I consider this a "sixth sense" effect, referring to M. Night Shyamalan. Done properly, though, stories of this sort can deliver two good movies, even great ones, from different genre within the same film. This Halloween-themed episode from 2014 celebrates one of the best.

Introductory material encourages voting in 2020, even from registered voters who despair for one reason or another.
Vote, perhaps as the ultimate patriotic act of defiance to some who seem obsessed with stopping people from participating in the 2020 election.
Vote, even if you believe you already know how your state will lean in the presidential election. It may matter more than just the tally itself.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/152-anticipating-the-bang/

TalkBack 103: The Thriller Is Gone

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:39:53 -0400

I grew up in the Central Time Zone in the United States. The late news was at 10 p.m. On Friday nights, one of the local stations would start a movie at 10:30, and it was often quite thrilling to a kid my age. Some themes were supernatural, others science fiction. Endings weren't always as happy as the Disney and Pink Panther movies my parents preferred for a family outing to the cinema. Halloween in particular was peak season for this "late night" Friday movie of the week.

Cases in point:

A Cold Night's Death
Carnival of Souls
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw
The Other (1972)
Asylum (Amicus)
The House that Dripped Blood
Trilogy of Terror

TalkBack 42: Made For TV Program Direction

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 17:33:49 -0400

When Inappropriate Conversations #42 was released in January 2011, I named it "The Morning After for Classic Made-For-TV Movies" and that title still works based on the flow of the show. I wanted this TalkBack episode to also note a relatively recent Facebook venture, a public group called Made For TV Program Direction. The idea is to accumulate what will be a long list of citations, nostalgic memories of past television program -- some seemingly forgotten. Feel free to join in if this podcast memory strikes some other memories.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/42-the-morning-after-for-classic-made-for-tv-movies/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 5

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:40:54 -0400

I'm probably less sure now than I was 7 years ago about whether the Sunday School hour in most Christian churches is the best type of small group. It was the type I was most familiar with then. Now, I'd say the main requirement isn't location or time of meeting, but the ability to speak very freely about a challenging range of topics. Today, that range would include double-standards and miscarriages of justice from the halls of Congress to local district attorneys offices. Any small group that cannot handle conversations like that fails to achieve its mission. And any notion that conversations like that have no place within the church fundamentally misrepresents what "church" should be.

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 4

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:05:23 -0400

In the process of considering whether the message, or a worship service itself, was fundamentally different inside a sanctuary or some other form of cathedral versus a more ordinary room, my family ended up encountering a church that didn't have a building at all. No sanctuary. No roof over their heads at all, so to speak. And that's where we ended up, too.

TalkBack episodes in podcast form exist largely due to Spotify. That's also among the places the new Harmony Springs Gives Voice podcast can be found.

Walk The Earth 59

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 19:15:22 -0400

Whether racism is more prevalent and toxic within, rather than outside, the church?

Robert P. Jones of PRRI

Preview for White Savior: Racism in the American Church

TalkBack 191: False Political Prophecies

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 03:30:00 -0400

A significant number of Americans, most from the political and religious right, still owe Barack Obama an apology.
When you understand the persecution a group thinks they will suffer, whether based on rational conclusions or not, it provides great insight into what they would do if given ultimate and absolute power. We are wise to be wary. The people who predicted Obama would "round up" both Christians and guns might just pose a similar dire threat to their perceived political enemies. We haven't done a sufficient job of denouncing false prophecies in recent years, and now we must deal with the consequences.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/191-false-political-prophecies/

TalkBack 157: Letting Justice Roll 1

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:15:00 -0400

Consider this the background material for the previous Inappropriate Conversations (#IC #231). Things have not improved in the past five years, and an argument can be made that the standards for law enforcement have gotten worse. I say this with as much sadness as anger, although I'm sure the anger cuts through. It's painful enough to bring even a mildly empathetic person to his knees, at a time in American where that gesture is inexplicably controversial.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/157-letting-justice-roll/

231: Letting Justice Roll 2

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 23:24:39 -0400

More than five years ago, Inappropriate Conversations #157 was released as an unedited nearly two-hour rant about that state of law enforcement and race relations in America at the end of 2014. Clearly, things have not improved. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves for not taking these issues more seriously. It is, after all, clearly a matter a life and death.

Different Drummer: Dave Chappelle

TalkBack 82: Pandering from a Political Pulpit

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:16:38 -0400

More than a dozen years ago, it wasn't unusual for Christian leaders to provide political advice to one another that sounded like this: "Don’t equate the biblical kingdom of God with any human political party or nation" (Andrew Jackson). Many were already violating guidelines like this, but the trespasses would only multiply during the Obama administration. Recent years have been even worse. I have yet to hear a sufficient denunciation of this misbehavior from the same Christian leaders who published original guidelines like this one. Truly, it's a "Get behind me, Satan" moment, reflecting not God's concerns at all (Matthew 16:23). Yet, for the most part, the Church remains silent.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/82-pandering-from-a-political-pulpit/

TalkBack 177: Transitional Terminology

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:15:58 -0400

Pride was the focus for TalkBack episodes released in June this year. (Some of those files were mistakenly deleted and restored in July, despite being originally released in June.) I ended the series with a 2015 episode looking at the "T" of LGBTQ* and my perspective on how simple it is to address people in the manner they prefer.

I was pretty young when my family went to an out-of-town wedding, an older cousin getting married. I must have asked an annoying question that morning because I recall getting a lecture on manners. We had only just met Jim the night before, but I read the wedding announcement which introduced him as James. "The parents of James ..." is typical verbiage. Conversation on the way the church stopped like a needle scratching across a vinyl record. It was a "listen, young man" moment from my mother to me: under no circumstances was I to address the new member of our family as James. He had told us politely and clearly that he prefers to be called Jim "and that is how we will address him from now on," I was told.

Simple to understand. It is, if nothing else, very bad manners to call someone a name, when they have asked for different treatment. Seems simple enough. It would be churlish not to comply, perhaps even provocative or confrontational. I was taught that "good people" call people by the names they have chosen and use "sir" or "ma'am" (not to mention "him" and "her") as instructed.

I do not directly cover this story within this callback to #IC #177. I have no doubt I mentioned it in a later episode touching on the same topic. It doesn't seem that hard to grasp, though, even if concepts like trans/cis can, for some of us, be hard to grasp.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/177-transitional-terminology/

TalkBack 128: Proud To Know You 1

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:14:55 -0400

Before traveling to Las Vegas a couple years after this TalkBack recording and later making similar trips to New Orleans for Pride48 podcasting expositions, I made a commitment to myself to participate. I called that episode Proud To Know You. From a TalkBack perspective, it's really Proud To Know You 1.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/128-proud-to-know-you/

230: Some Assembly Required, chapter 8

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:13:59 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 8

Editor's Note

"Darkness Sets In"

Life's an Essay Test; We're Obliged To Give Essay Answers

Making the Grade

"The false assumption most of them make is that Truth is somehow distant, elusive, and concealed. Their Truth must be tracked down, captured, and unveiled."

Different Drummer: Boethius of Rome

229: Some Assembly Required, chapter 7

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:13:16 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 7

Mad Scientist

Editorial Board meeting: March 24, 1994

Coming Up Next

How Am I Supposed To Live Without?

"They'll Know We Are Christians"

The Least Of These

"Are we not, in fact, blaming the Godless for their very Godlessness?"

Different Drummer: Art Eddy

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 3

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:12:00 -0400

Being active in a church, really active, often involves a spoken or unspoken expectation of very steady attendance. Learning what other churches and denominations are doing can be challenging, if not impossible, in such circumstances. The initial phase of "walking the earth" was eye-opening for this reason. Even the definition of "sermon" raised immediate questions. The first two episodes in Walk The Earth covered what I considered to be easy questions. This question was the first that led me to think I ought to record my answers.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-3/

228: Some Assembly Required, chapter 6

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:11:17 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 6

Just Say No, Nancy

You're On the Air

"Para-Double-Diddle"

Cover Version

Tell Us What You Think

"By bringing the hallucinatory powers of your own brain to bear upon your experiment, you will be able to easily retrace your steps."

Different Drummer: Brook Berringer

227: Some Assembly Required, chapter 5

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:10:18 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 5

Twenty-something

Sexual Revolutionary Critic

On Your Way Home

Assignment: Aion

Noteworthy

The Readers' Reply (Letters over 300 words may be edited for length and clarity)

"We're going to be jumping around for the next couple of days. Let me have some undivided attention, and I'll give you a feel for what we're referencing."

Different Drummer: Nadia Bolz-Weber

TalkBack 172: Proud To Know You 2

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 18:57:17 -0400

My first experience at Pride48 was last week's TalkBack episode (Walk The Earth #30). It was soon followed by my first event recap show. #IC #172, Proud To Know You 2, covered my thoughts on the trip upon returning. I also mention a corresponding interview on the Ramble Redhead podcast on the same topic. Next on Pride48 is the June 2020 live streaming event, Friday the 26th through Sunday the 28th. I'll be listening, and chatting whenever possible.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/172-proud-to-know-you-2/

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 30

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 01:02:00 -0400

My first of more public commitments to being an ally was the weekend of August 28, 2015, in Las Vegas. Walk The Earth 30 is a recording of a live podcast at Pride48 that year. For me, this moment was historic.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-30/

TalkBack 113: Raised On Robbery

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 07:01:00 -0400

Have you ever been unexpectedly stuck staring down the barrel of a gun being held by someone who clearly states he has no qualms about shooting you if you don't cooperate?

Outside of military-style preparation or perhaps police academy work, I believe it's impossible to predict how anyone would respond in such circumstances. I also found it challenging to assess how I responded for weeks, if not months, afterward. Simple answers rarely suffice.

When I tell the story now, I usually present the situation for laughs. Why not? If you can't find the humor, then you don't fully understand it.
My understanding exceeds the platitudes and soundbites of your average person protesting for their "rights."

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/113-raised-on-robbery/

Also: here is a recent panel discussion on the This Week In Gay podcast, covering different topics. Pleased to participate!

TalkBack 173: Seeing Spot Run

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 06:30:00 -0400

The first venture into TalkBack podcast episodes was thematic, Christmas shows in November-December 2018. It isn't hard to find running themes in past episodes of Inappropriate Conversations. A focus on the impact of gun usage starts here, revisiting October 2015, and will continue later in the month with a story that was 30+ years old in February 2013.

I tend to tire very quickly over gun control debates. The conversation always seems to devolve to extremes. Worse, what should be an open discussion on the relationship between rights and responsibilities never starts.

If you make it impossible for people to make you happy, people will lose interest in whether you are happy or not. No, I'm not interested in the happiness of people who love objects and use people. It's true regardless of where such people stand on any political spectrum. Some things, once broken, cannot be restored.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/173-seeing-spot-run/

226: Some Assembly Required, chapter 4

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 06:30:00 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 4

Did You Hear the One about V-8 Nate?

Prior Restraint

Premarital Skydiving

"Characters don't always say what writers want them to say, and it's ignorant to presume otherwise."

Different Drummer: Jackie Speier

Talkback: Walk The Earth 2

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 06:05:00 -0400

As the old saying goes: the church is not a building; the church is the people. Well, I've been interacting with some of those people in new/old ways lately. The early episode of Walk The Earth was about walking away from one congregation. We had not yet found a new one yet. Now, years later, the church I've since joined is planning to start a podcast. Some of our sessions have been planning, others recording. I'll share links to Harmony Springs Gives Voice when podcasts are posted, probably on TalkBacks like this one. I've also recently joined a panel discussion on the podcast This Week In Gay with religious freedom/liberty among the topics. I'll share that the same way at the appropriate time.

For now, I did need to define "church" if I wanted to talk about walking away from one, either permanently or on the way to something better.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/walk-the-earth-2/

225: Some Assembly Required, chapter 3

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 06:05:00 -0400

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Chapter 3

"Gone, But Not Forgotten"

Timed Test

Hostile Takeover Bid

Fine Tuning

Replay

"If you cannot address the concerns of one increasingly irate customer, then those concerns ultimately may cost you the business of other customers as well."

Different Drummer: Bob Walkenhorst

The Rainmakers in Norway

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 1

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 05:08:00 -0500

When a new member of a church pledges to join a congregation, the public statement is often about supporting the church with prayers, presence, gifts, and service. At the point of deciding to leave a particular church, though, that pledge gets called into question. For some, leaving a congregation can reflect an abandonment of everything, all of that plus belief itself. For my family, though, the tension was more about whether the commitment was to a particular local church or something different, something more.

This episode, #wte 001, started the series of questions in a spinoff podcast of Inappropriate Conversations
simply called Walk The Earth.

224: Some Assembly Required, chapters 1 & 2

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 20:29:20 -0500

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent)

Note: explicit language throughout

Chapter 1

What the Anti-Formalists Thought

Bennie's Got It

Pop Quiz

Homegrown

My Brunch with Nicole

"You always do this to me. First, you bring up something offensive. Then, you tell me to stop you before you go too far. But how can I?"

Chapter 2

R.S.V.P.

Cat Burglar

Diary of a College Graduate

Backroads

Telemarketed

"Film Break"

"Whether the goal is to become a member of the Christian Community, or the cat-killing community, or simply the campus community, there is a compelling degree of comfort to be found in membership."

Different Drummer: Ze Frank

Dear Kitten ads

Walk The Earth 58

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 05:12:00 -0500

Whether a mission statement is necessary, and what role does it play in the mission itself?

July 2010 on Inappropriate Conversations

A conversation from before Inappropriate Conversations existed

TalkBack 138: Missing Someone I Never Knew

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 05:15:00 -0500

Now that I've committed to TalkBack episodes being part of the structure going forward, along with new episodes of both Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth, it's a good time to note that no past podcast I've ever recorded seemed quite as set for a reprise as this one, #IC #138. I am surprised that six years have gone by since I was slightly shaken by the news that someone from my high school graduating class had died. Hillary wasn't the first, there have been others since 2014, and inevitably more to come. It seems that Hillary took the chance to tell her story, though, on stage, a year earlier. We are blessed to live in an era where missing that event, and missing the actual events even at school, isn't the last word. To some degree, podcasts and YouTube videos are preserving a record. For now.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/138-missing-someone-i-never-knew/

223: Torment As Tactic

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 04:15:00 -0500

Seems to me, our society collectively complains about how the quality of our discourse has devolved while also avoiding even talking about potential solutions. Some seem just as legalistically obsessed with the First Amendment being a hard-stop to even common-sense standards of decency as they, or perhaps others, are about the Second Amendment. Just as you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater where there is no fire or danger, you also cannot threaten to attack someone merely to silence their opinion or prevent them from raising their voice. Here we are, though, living in a society where harassment is accepted with a shrug and bullying is almost praised when it is an effective tactic. The situation is deplorable, but we have learned in recent years that using that particular term to denounce horrible misbehavior doesn't seem generate appropriate attention toward the problem.

I would humbly suggest that we have the tools, the technology, to address this issue. Despite our discomfort about law enforcement overreach and spying on citizens, it is possible to identify the people chasing families off their phones and out of their homes. The time is coming when such investigations may be crucial, if it is not already too late. I recommend prison time and heavy fines for the offenders, too. Unfortunately, it's hard to find better, more nuanced answers at this time. We are, after all, at the start of a national election year in the United States. Safe to say this situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

Different Drummer: Sarah Bessey

TalkBack 40: Other High Crimes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:30:00 -0500

With the second Senate impeachment trial of my lifetime scheduled to start any day now, I've chosen to schedule this TalkBack episode in advance for future release. That's a risky move. Who knows what might happen between now and then? To me, that's one of the challenges of dealing with current events on a podcast intended to be more evergreen than the news of the day. And the impeachment covered in this podcast is more than 20 years old now!

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/40-other-high-crimes/

TalkBack 15: Declaring War on 'Just Say No'

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 05:30:00 -0500

From an endgame perspective, the so-called "war on drugs" was never intended to generate the equivalent of permanent prisoners of war in the form of mass incarceration, but that is probably the true face of the political strategy that seemed to directly target my generation. The focus came after the Summer Of Love crowd, hitting instead the younger brothers, sisters, and cousins. It's hard to cite any wins because "Just Say No" as a campaign was far more about the image than the results, pure style over substance. Perhaps it was only about winning electoral strategies. I say this because I first had to resist this facile nonsense before I could commit myself to truly resisting any temptations to "experiment" with drugs.

Yes, "temptations" is plural. This issue was never so simple that "just say no" was credible advice. And that was just part of the problem that persists today. Other parts include the false equivocation about the relative dangers of different substances, and whether keeping people alive long enough to get the help they truly need was ever among the goals (hint: evidence suggests it was not).

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/15-declaring-war-on-%e2%80%98just-say-no%e2%80%99/

222: Displeasure

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 05:45:00 -0500

To our shame, our society still tends to teach women to separate themselves from their sexuality, treating pleasure as something regrettable while looking the other way with a "boys will be boys" shrug about men pursuing pleasure. Even within committed relationships, this has unfortunate and unnecessary consequences. Wise women have spoken against this, and their counsel is well worth considering.

Different Drummer: Ruth K. Westheimer

TalkBack 14: Sex Education the Protestant Way; Then, Not Now

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 05:30:00 -0500

Considering how prominent sex is on the logo for Inappropriate Conversations, I haven't touched that topic as often as I could. I may explore some reasons why in the next Inappropriate Conversations recording for #IC #222. We'll see. In the meantime, this past episode from 2010 provides valuable background information, recalling a time when the church taking sex education seriously did not have anything to do with protesting, banning, or undermining it.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/14-sex-education-the-protestant-way-then-not-now/

Happy 2020!

Walk The Earth 57

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 20:44:43 -0500

Whether spirituality has become a private matter because churches are using spirituality to attack and exclude?

TalkBack 30: Establishment of Religion

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 22:36:28 -0500

The previous TalkBack episode included the beginning of an essay called "Should Amendment Stand a Prayer of Success?" It was written in 2000 and shared on this podcast in 2010. Inappropriate Conversations #30 is the rest of that argument.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/30-establishment-of-religion/

TalkBack 29: My Prayer for a Football Game

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 06:48:19 -0500

As far as I can tell, Inappropriate Conversations #29 is the most downloaded episode in the history of this podcast. I'm not sure why a wide-ranging perspective on the concept of school prayer would get such a response, but I'm pleased to share it here.
This episode also qualifies under the heading of topics too large for one recording, so I'll share #IC 30 next, soon, to complete the thought.
I describe myself as a radical moderate, using terminology very loosely, and this topic provides a pretty good example. This first episode in particular shares a counterpoint to my position, and most of the 2-part arc is me providing information and criticism to what might be considered my own camp. I believe I have credentials as a Christian to share what Jesus taught to other Christians, for example.
And this was just the beginning of the podcast, from the first year in 2010.

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/29-my-prayer-for-a-football-game/

TalkBack 38: Thanksgiving Paper Football Classics

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 09:49:55 -0500

When Inappropriate Conversations #38 was recorded 10 years ago, the annual Paper Football Classic in my family was still a nearly annual event, with 31 consecutive years of record keeping and bragging rights. I was not anticipating a long hiatus, but life as a parent has included high school and college graduations, young adults buying and moving into first homes, marriages, etc. In my mind, the TPFC is still a thing and may resume once again.

Happy Thanksgiving with a TalkBack episode to this holiday season, both now and in years past!

http://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/38-thanksgiving-paper-football-classics/

221: Echoes via TalkBacks

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 22:39:13 -0500

Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth podcasts are now available on Spotify. It's a transition that will include reintroducing some of the oldest episodes of each, over time, in a process I've called TalkBacks.

Different Drummer: Johann Sebastian Bach

220: Mirror Universe Different Drummers

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 21:30:51 -0400

What if I go low instead of high? The named Different Drummers might be people like:

Mitch McConnell

Rick Wiles

Franklin Graham

Candice Keller

As opposed to the real answer this time.
Different Drummer: Michelle Obama

Promo for Inappropriate Conversations podcast

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 22:27:12 -0400

Sharing a short promo for the Inappropriate Conversations podcast.

219: Proud To Know You 4 - Gregarious

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 23:08:34 -0400

For two consecutive years now, the Pride48 podcasting expo in New Orleans has been a landmark in summertime vacation plans. Each year has been a combination of seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. These are conversations I intend to continue.

Different Drummer: Bernie Taupin

"He's my brother. Let us live in peace." (Taupin)

218: Why We Watch

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 14:18:46 -0400

Spoiler alert regarding Avengers and Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the Life In Hell strips Matt Groening wrote years ago featured his criticism of film critics. One-liners included newspaper critics writing tight capsule reviews and more serious magazine critics wearing sweaters and giving away endings. I don't often wear sweaters, but I do struggle with how to openly discuss subtext without spoilers. For the movie The Sixth Sense, I ended up writing two reviews, one for before you've seen the film and one for after. That seemed to work. At the #p48EXPO #p48NOLA #p48LIVE event this year, I didn't have the time to offer such a dual perspective. If you are behind (as I was until this summer) on Infinity War and Endgame, you've been warned.

The primary focus of this episode was looking more deeply at what draws us into the popular art we consume. With movies, for example, the impetus seems to be different for comedy, horror, documentary, etc. What occurred to me about the draw of characters, regardless the actor or director, seemed most significant within the superhero genre. The tie-in with the Different Drummer seemed obvious.

As a live show, the format of this one is appropriately different. We dive right in, for one thing, with introduction and theme music coming along the way. For another, I've bookended this file with interstitials from the podcasting suite. Since it takes a few minutes to move one podcast off-stage and another one on, these interstitials tend to focus the audience toward something other than headphones being plugged in and drinks-of-choice being poured. The opener is the intro to Inappropriate Conversations this year, and the closer is one from the next day when I was invited to participate. There is more after the #IC live outro music.

Thanks to Taylor and Taffy from Pod Is My Copilot. Bookends, indeed.

Different Drummer: Stan Lee

"Life's an essay test; we're obliged to give essay answers." (The Author)

Walk The Earth 56

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 18:08:32 -0400

Whether "ghosting" is an appropriate alternative to an exit interview when severing ties?

Pride48 2019 NOLA Schedule

217: Right Reasons

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 22:08:00 -0400

The fear that dearest friends would not be close to us anymore is real. So is the burden.

Different Drummer: Alan Parker

216: Third Person

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 23:15:16 -0400

Odds and ends include:
* How to interpret the role of Congress with Mueller Report.
* Whether Missouri leaders are conspiring to commit sexual assault.
* If Fred Rogers isn't my all-time favorite "Fred" ... who is?
* "Third Person" from Manifestos Of Neosurrealism.

Different Drummer: Vincent Kompany

Walk The Earth 55

Wed, 15 May 2019 23:00:18 -0400

Whether understanding the meaning of words in their time is key to seeking the mind of God?

Christianity 201: Time for Solid Food

215: Parental Controls

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 12:29:01 -0400

The concept of parental control, even censorship, was clearly a part of my upbringing. I could cite numerous examples of inconsistencies, though:
Three's Company, Soap, American Graffiti, National Lampoon's Animal House, Queen, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Harold Robbins (The Betsy), Xaviera Hollander (The Happy Hooker), Hermann Hesse (Siddhartha), Alex Comfort (The Joy of Sex, More Joy of Sex), Bari Wood & Jack Geasland (Twins).

Different Drummer: Dolly Parton

George In Atlanta #52

Walk The Earth 54

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 06:38:06 -0400

Whether progressive emphasis on affirming churches is even sufficient?

Welcoming, Accepting, Affirming - Don't Get Stuck

TalkBack 180: Jesus Quote Bubble

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 14:52:15 -0500

Concluding a long TalkBack series to start the year, I'm giving the last word to the Sermon On The Mount. Intentionally, I've done this in the most common English translations I can find, preferring an easily understood paraphrase to any version that makes it sound like Jesus was speaking to some gathering of experts rather than a crowd.

Next month, Walk The Earth will resume with new episodes and Inappropriate Conversations after that.

TalkBack 81: Singing a Song for Lovers

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 22:20:53 -0500

It is not possible for me to look back to February 2012 and Inappropriate Conversations #81 and not think of community. It's particularly true this year. This recording would not have been possible without a strong, supportive online community, one that now seems to be gone. At the same time, another online community, Pride48, is providing deeply meaningful support for its participants at the news that one of our podcasters has died, too young and suddenly. This is the right time for the voices of old friends to be ringing in my ears.

RIP, Matthew Ulmen

TalkBack 131: Christianity 301

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 21:56:52 -0500

The TalkBack series in January focused on scripture, theology, and religion with slices of Inappropriate Conversations #150. February will finish this set of callbacks with episodes that function as an Appendix of sorts, supporting material consistent with Opening The Scriptures and taking the Bible seriously. Inappropriate Conversations #131 has a New Testament focus, primarily the story of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles.
That, and a strangely controversial Different Drummer.

TalkBack 150 - part 6: Opening the Scriptures

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 06:44:07 -0500

When Inappropriate Conversations #150 was first posted in September 2014, the best solution I had for liner notes was simply a list of all the quoted texts, which alone was quite extensive. Now, wrapping up this look-back to that long podcast, I'll use the last of these 6 parts with a link to the original post. It has the full set of scriptures and the name of the Different Drummer, and that segment closes out the episode.

#IC #150

TalkBack 150 - part 5: Opening the Scriptures

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 11:44:15 -0500

Few figures in this history of Christianity are as controversial as Paul. Really, it's important to look at the story of the Apostle Paul as both a history of Saul and Paul. That is true whether you view "history" here as historical fact or the internal back-story of a fictional narrative. Either way, Paul's influence is quite real, and I wouldn't call him the hero of his own story.

TalkBack 150 - part 4: Opening the Scriptures

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 21:54:47 -0500

Having passed the half-way point in sharing Inappropriate Conversations #150 with the 3rd part, the excerpts will be shorter from this point on. Part 4 starts with the question of whether everyone the circles of family and friend were on board with Jesus and his ministry. Far from it.

TalkBack 150 - part 3: Opening the Scriptures

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 21:18:11 -0500

Following up more quickly with Part 3 of the TalkBack to Inappropriate Conversations #150, in part because the way this portion of that long podcast ties into the section before.
Did Jesus ever address sexual orientation during his ministry? No. Or, maybe, by saying nothing at all.

TalkBack 150 - part 2: Opening the Scriptures

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 15:26:43 -0500

Following the introduction in the first part of this look-back to Inappropriate Conversations #150, it's time to dive in to both the Word and the past episode, at length.

As planned, much shorter introductions now that the next TalkBack posts are, essentially, mid-episode.

TalkBack 150 - part 1: Opening the Scriptures

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 22:15:03 -0500

After spending the holidays sharing TalkBack podcasts related to Christmas, I want to start the new year with a series of TalkBack posts on the longest Inappropriate Conversations podcast released so far. It will take a 3+ hour episode into 6 parts. The original #IC #150 was intentionally long, making the point of quoting scripture at length and in context while trying, as stated right up from, to free Christ from the closet of Christian homophobia.

Also, in the introduction I try to answer the question: exactly how big is a billion?

TalkBack 155: Twelve Days

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 11:05:02 -0500

Wrapping up the TalkBack series for November-December, I'm putting the 12 Days Of Christmas podcast on Christmas Day, which is when that concept actually starts. Only part, a large part, of the Christian world celebrates the holiday in December. The rest have 12 days to go. The wise men have yet to deliver their gifts, after all. Only shepherds have appeared on the scene at this stage.

I plan to continue TalkBack with a new series in January, but it will feature only one prior podcast -- delivered again in parts.

TalkBack 156: Boxing Day

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:39:46 -0500

November and December of 2014 included an intense focus on Christmas as a holiday for Inappropriate Conversations, and in many ways this year's TalkBack series is an echo of that time. As I did at the beginning of these look-backs, I'm going to inverse the order of two shows posted back then. A few weeks ago, I did that based on the start of Advent. This time, I'm going to do it based on the combination of Boxing Day, December 26th, and the true beginning of the "12 days of Christmas" starting after the holiday itself. Neither show relies heavily on the calendar date, but it's nice to mix things up.

I've noticed that the Different Drummers throughout this series were all musicians. That will change with the next TalkBack post. This one, though, focuses very heavily on the Different Drummer and his music and lyrics.

TalkBack: Walk The Earth 33

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 22:04:44 -0500

After several TalkBack episodes from Inappropriate Conversations, this is a Walk The Earth episode that focused on Christmas, with a new intro that I find even more insightful. The words, shared from a different source, are a bit spoilery about Santa.

TalkBack 109: Recognizing Christmas

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 06:26:27 -0500

December 14th as the release date for this TalkBack of Inappropriate Conversations is not a coincidence. Looking back to December 2012, I wanted to speak broadly about secular visions of Nativity, but a mass murder at an elementary school could not be ignored. The episode is segregated, with the sadness and anger at the end. Now, 6 years later, it seems like we've had countless aftershocks to that mass-murder earthquake, and it's fair to ask if we've become numb -- some willingly, valuing possessions over people, and some as a psychological defense mechanism.

I also referred to circumstances in the same Connecticut crime a couple of months later, talking about my first experience staring down the barrel of criminal's gun.

All the same, Merry Christmas from Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth!

TalkBack 135: Nestor the Audio Commentary

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 07:57:50 -0500

AMC is televising "Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" for the 2018 holiday season, with (sometimes very early) morning broadcasts on December 12th, 21st, and 24th. It isn't a Rankin-Bass classic, but it is worth the time to look back at the 1977 half-hour special. So far, the only commentaries of this sort I've done have been for Rudolph and Nestor. Make of that what you will.

TalkBack 76: Rudolph, the Audio Commentary

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 21:48:48 -0500

On Saturday, December 8, 2018, CBS will broadcast "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for the second time this year. It's a perfect time to look back on an Inappropriate Conversations audio commentary soundtrack for the holiday classic.

Walk The Earth 53

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 22:29:01 -0500

Whether gatherings like Thanksgiving are, or should be, a sacrament of shared food and drink?

214: Proud To Know You 3 - Beyond Superdome

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 23:38:40 -0400

Looking back at the 2018 Pride48 Podcast Expo in New Orleans with great memories of how the event went, looking forward to next time.
Also, an attempt to take recent SCOTUS nominee testimony before the U.S. Senate judiciary committee seriously, and where that ultimately leads.

Different Drummer: Yvette Nicole Brown

The JV Club #25

213: Paying It Forward

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 21:52:26 -0400

For science in particular, great leaps forward sometimes happen primarily because a person with means chooses to leave a very different legacy than a name on a building. The birth control pill is one example, a particularly relevant one still today.

Different Drummer: Katharine McCormick

World Contraception Day

Kavanaugh confusion

Rethinking the Abortion Conversation

The Protectors (1972)

212: Intersections in the Neighborhood

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 15:49:17 -0400

Live from Pride48 New Orleans Podcasting Expo 2018:

Allies

Intersections

Different Drummer(s)

Loving someone as they are, and hiding who they are

Rogers' message: you are not a mistake

Peaceful Neighbor

Understanding the quiet gay activism of Mister Rogers

Vanity Fair interview with Francois Clemmons

Different Drummer: Francois Clemmons and Fred Rogers

Special thanks to Nicole Villacres from Greetings From Nowhere and Pride48.

Walk The Earth 52

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 06:36:05 -0400

Whether answering insincere questions has value, in the moment, much later, or ever?

Answers to 40 insincere questions

Walk The Earth 51

Sat, 28 Jul 2018 16:01:19 -0400

Whether the film No Country For Old Men (2007) presents a theological perspective?

211: Just One More Thing

Sat, 14 Jul 2018 19:53:50 -0400

I have questions about immigration and the current state of our policies as a nation. I don't profess to have a lot of answers, but I will admit that some of the possibilities seem both obvious and disturbing. For example, what have we become?

Different Drummer: Peter Falk

One question I don't ask directly: Am I becoming increasingly self-referential?
Allow me to answer with links.

188: Constitutional Crisis

152: Anticipating the Bang

42: "The Morning After" for classic Made-for-TV Movies

103: The Thriller Is Gone

187: Television Debut (1972-73)

105: Press Coverage

15: Declaring War on "Just Say No"

195: Telling Your Stories (Before It's Too Late)

59: Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion - part 1

60: Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion - part 2

Inappropriate Conversations on Facebook

210: Podcast Montage

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 21:58:26 -0400

References:

Pride 48: New Orleans Podcasting Expo 2018

Pride 48: June 2018 Live Streaming Weekend

The Smellcast

Ramble Redhead

Vera Speaks ... For Real

Simply Syndicated: Simply Everything

The Tech Support Rich Show

Big Fatty Online

Nerd Hurdles

Books You Should Read

Greetings From Nowhere

The Satyrsphere

Movies You Should See

Hooked

Different Drummer: Claude Monet

209: Taking Sides

Tue, 29 May 2018 23:51:42 -0400

Far too often, discussions about politics and religion (or even popular culture) are being compromised if not thwarted by blind devotion to entrenched positions. We are becoming more segregated than at any point in my lifetime, not just along arbitrary divisions of race. It's two kinds of news, or even in the minds of some people two kinds of bakeries. Tragically, we are watching an "us versus them" siege play out before our eyes and ears. I've no doubt that I have been impacted, too. Potential listeners of Inappropriate Conversations have, for want of a better phrase, weeded themselves out on shaky religious grounds. And, perhaps, my personal policies like never "un-friending" anyone might make those suspicions seem legitimate. If we can't remain in dialogue, though, then how will we have any real conversations -- inappropriate or otherwise?

Different Drummer: Mel Blanc

208: 'A Simple Yes Or No'

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 04:03:00 -0400

Who could resist the combination of April Fool's Day and Easter Sunday? Not me. "A Simple Yes Or No" was originally published in The Juke Joint Journal, 1986.

Different Drummer: Animal

Walk The Earth 50

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 17:08:01 -0400

Whether Jesus should have washed the feet of Judas?

The Secret of Forgiveness

207: 8 Years of #IC

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 00:07:08 -0500

Highlights, poetry/prose, essays, and Different Drummers from the first 8 years of Inappropriate Conversations, which started on March 7, 2010.

Different Drummer: Derek Jarman

Highlights

41: Gone But Not Forgotten

44: Sacred Friendship

106: The Violence of Denial

113: Raised on Robbery

150: Opening the Scriptures

172: Proud to Know You 2

182: Murdering Friendship

195: Telling Your Stories (Before It's Too Late)

Poetry and Prose

23: Laws Of Motion

52: First Person Comedy

93: Poetry Providing Perspective

Words Per Minute

Stop The Bleeding

122: Disappear Here

144: The Death of The Author

181: Part Time

Essays

29: My Prayer for a Football Game

30: Establishment of Religion

59: 10 Areas of Agreement about Abortion, part 1

60: 10 Areas of Agreement about Abortion, part 2

97: Any One Being Ashamed

112: Saying No to Myself

146: The Idea of Christ

165: Memorial Music

188: Constitutional Crisis

192: 100 Ways

Different Drummers

22: Art and the Strange Bedfellows

50: The Most Significant Art Form

87: Used Record Stores and a Healthy Aquarium

134: Gender Segregation

149: Truly Respecting Elders

164: Vinyl Box Sets

180: Jesus Quote Bubble

202: Ladies First

Also:

Walk The Earth

Inappropriate Conversations

206: Minding Your P's and Q's, part 6

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:27:30 -0500

Your points and questions #6 covers a couple of years of feedback, with nods to Nancy, Nicole, Shane, Chris, and others.

Different Drummer: Maria McKee

We are all God's children.

Walk The Earth 49

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 23:14:16 -0500

Whether you would let a dozen people die to save a thousand frozen embryos?

205: Lasers!

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 23:46:30 -0500

An out-the-door look at one specific laserdisc collection probably says more about the collector than the technology, just like any playlist or mix-tape. Consider this a time capsule about a format intended to make movies more timeless.

Different Drummer: Hoyt Curtin

Jonny Quest documentary

204: Revolution As Dissent

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 22:28:15 -0500

If we don't speak up now, raising our voices in dissent, then when will we? An argument could be made that the powers-that-be are striving to stifle the means by which those voices may be heard.
Now is the time to speak in favor of Net Neutrality.
Now is the time to note that we will never be able to return to this moment in history.
Now is the time to insist the our leaders put nation ahead of party, the intent of our so-called "founding fathers" above self-interest.
Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country.

Reds (1981)

Different Drummer: Diane Keaton

Walk The Earth 48

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 11:43:35 -0500

Whether people who want answers ask questions?

Supporting material:

Sacred Friendship

A Farewell Address from the Mountaintop

Revelation Weekend

Moments of Epiphany

Originating Ideas

Where Would I Be without God?

Walk The Earth 47

Sun, 29 Oct 2017 22:14:48 -0400

Whether people, including children, are allowed to pray in schools?

203: Some History There

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 23:45:19 -0400

There is a danger in not knowing the history of our history.

Different Drummer: Al Stewart

Confederate Monuments Chart

Robert E. Lee's perspective

Respecting the family's wishes

Not all Confederate generals are revered equally

Smithsonian point of view

Walk The Earth 46

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 23:44:01 -0400

Whether missionary work is just a friendly front for cultural imperialism?

202: Ladies First

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 22:20:24 -0400

In American amateur sports, women have been making the biggest impact for a decade now. There are multiple reasons. One of the most interesting, though, is an example of the great things that happen for society as a whole when principles of equality are put into place. It’s more than just a game. Our entire economy may be experiencing the same benefit of full empowerment and participation.

Different Drummer: Pat Summitt

Before and After Title IX

Walk The Earth 45

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 23:45:27 -0400

Whether Jesus is the answer to disarming the violent, largely political divisions in our society?

Dan Carlin Common Sense

Key Teachings of Jesus

Walk The Earth 44

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 15:55:56 -0400

Whether people menacing female Christian authors with rape- and death-threats are Christians (if they identified themselves)?

201: The Sound of Sustainability

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 23:21:12 -0400

Environmentalism, conservation, and more.

Different Drummer: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen - "The Future"

10,000 Maniacs - "Poison in the Well"

Reverend Moon - "Old Graves"

Moonwood - "Drawing Water from a Poisoned Well"

Yes - "The Ancient - Giants Under the Sun"

Graham Parker - "Green Monkeys"

The Fall - "Van Plague?"

Wu-Tang Clan - "America"

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Same Love" featuring Mary Lambert

Melissa Etheridge - "Silent Legacy"

Leonard Cohen - "Everybody Knows"

Leonard Cohen - "Democracy"

Grand Funk Railroad - "Creepin'"

Dead Kennedys - "Soup is Good Food"

XTC - "Scarecrow People"

Skinny Puppy - "Testure"

Holly Cole - "Fragile"

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Two Gunslingers"

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "Let's Face It"

Leonard Cohen - "Anthem"

200: The Sound of Dissent

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 18:56:20 -0400

Religion.

Different Drummer: Larry Kirwan

T Bone Burnett - "I Can Explain Everything"

Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - "Tell It All, Brother"

Roger Waters - "What God Wants Part 1"

Jethro Tull - "My God"

Jethro Tull - "Hymn 43"

Jethry Tull - "Wind Up"

Laurie Anderson - "Beautiful Red Dress"

Joni Mitchell - "The Magdelene Laundries"

Tori Amos - "Leather" (live)

No Doubt - "Just A Girl"

Black 47 - "Black 47"

Black 47 - "James Connolly"

Flogging Molly - "What's Left of the Flag"

XTC - "Dear God"

XTC - "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"

DC Talk - "Jesus Freak"

Ministry - "Psalm 69"

Tim Dorsey - "Tiger Shrimp Tango"

Nuclear Assault - "Preaching to the Deaf"

Nuclear Assault - "Hypocrisy"

Todd Snider - "Somebody's Coming"

Todd Snider - "Conservative, Christian, Right Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males"

Todd Snider - "Alot More"

T Bone Burnett - "I Can Explain Everything (Reprise)"

199: The Sound of Disorder

Sat, 13 May 2017 21:52:56 -0400

Minority experiences and law enforcement.

Different Drummer: Claudette Colvin

Jimmy Cliff - "Piece of the Pie"

Billie Holiday - "Strange Fruit"

The Clash - "Know Your Rights"

The Beatles - "Piggies"

The Boomtown Rats - "The Elephant's Graveyard"

Public Enemy - "Welcome to the Terrordome"

Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"

Ice T - "Body Count"

Steve Reich - "Come Out"

801 - "Law And Order"

Michelle Shocked - "Graffiti Limbo"

Nahko and Medicine for the People - "Make a Change"

Bob Dylan - "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Bob Dylan - "Blowin' in the Wind"

Sounds Of Blackness - "Black Lives Matter: No Justice No Peace"

Sounds Of Blackness - "Time for Healing"

Bob Marley & The Wailers - "Get Up Stand Up"

198: The Sound of Opposition

Sat, 06 May 2017 11:04:49 -0400

General, variety.

Different Drummer: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Midnight Oil - "Blue Sky Mine"

The Jam - "Running on the Spot"

The Jam - "Going Underground"

David Bynre - "Miss America"

Scatterbrain - "Goodbye Freedom, Hello Mom"

Wicked (cast) - "Defying Gravity"

Hamilton (cast) - "My Shot"

Hamilton (cast) - "The Election of 1800"

Hamilton (cast) - "Non-Stop"

Travis Tritt - "Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man"

USAF Academy Band and Cadet Chorale - "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor"

Nanci Griffith - "Deportee (Plan Wreck at Los Gatos)"

Violent Femmes - "Old Mother Reagan"

Violent Femmes - "No Killing"

Ernie Thacker - "The Hangman" (Maurice Ogden)

Frederic Rzewski - "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!"

Indigo Girls - "Let It Be Me"

Midnight Oil - "Beds Are Burning"

197: The Sound of Resistance

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 00:42:55 -0400

War.

Different Drummer: Neil Young

Jefferson Airplane - "Volunteers"

Buffalo Springfield - "For What It's Worth"

Guns 'n' Roses - "Civil War"

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Fortunate Son"

Dead Kennedys - "Kinky Sex Makes the World go 'Round"

Pink Floyd - "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert"

Crass - "How Does It Feel"

Crass - "Sheep Farming in the Falklands"

Morrissey - "Margaret on the Guillotine"

Neil Young - "Rocking in the Free World"

Neil Young - "Southern Man"

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Powderfinger"
The Cowboy Junkies - "Powderfinger"

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Ohio"

Neil Young & The Stray Gators - "War Song"

John Denver - "'68 Nixon"

Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready To Make Nice"

Elvis Costello - "Shipbuilding"

Skinny Puppy - "VX Gas Attack"

Flipper - "Sacrifice"

XTC - "War Dance"

Got A Girl - "There's a Revolution"

196: The Sound of Protest

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 08:20:04 -0400

Politics.

Different Drummer: Hugo Weaving

The Rainmakers - "Reckoning Day"

The Offspring - "Disclaimer"

Sepultura - "Politricks"

The Roots - "False Media"

Queensryche - "Revolution Calling"

Ken Hensley - "Proud Words"

Living Colour - "Cult of Personality"

Megadeth - "Symphony of Destruction"

Dead Kennedys - "California Uber Alles"

Dead Kennedys - "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now"

XTC - "The Ugly Underneath"

Jean Sibelius - "Finlandia"

Elvis Costello - "Less Than Zero"

Sheryl Crow - "Hard to Make a Stand"

Sonic Youth - "Youth Against Fascism"

Devo - "Enough Said"

The Rainmakers - "Spend It On Love"

Promo - 82 seconds

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:26:09 -0400

Inappropriate Conversations podcast, long promo

Promo - 22 seconds

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:24:42 -0400

Inappropriate Conversations podcast, short promo

195: Telling Your Stories (before it's too late)

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 22:57:00 -0400

When you don't know the rest of the story, it can be challenging to tell the part that you do know.

"Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal."

The Ungame.

Different Drummer: Alain Robbe-Grillet

194: No Pharisee Shopping Spree

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 22:32:04 -0500

Dubious as I am of boycotts, I'm already refusing to do business with Pharisees. Let's face it: most boycotts publicly proclaimed by the "religious right" are refusals to shop at stores or watch TV shows that those same people have previously refused to frequent multiple times before. It's an adulterous understanding of the concept. In a more personal but dedicated way, though, I have made good on past promises to withdraw my support from companies that treated me like a second-class citizen. In an era where our last remaining vote may be our pocketbooks, I may have to increase my resolve to avoid any dealings with companies that would shun customers or fire employees because of who they are or whom they love.

Different Drummer: Gregg Popovich

193: One-ders 3

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 15:28:57 -0500

Sometimes a retreat is in order, to circle the wagons and refresh the spirit. Often as not, my happy place is full of music. That doesn't mean that all the music is upbeat or positive, though. The rain falls there, too.
(References are in the comments section of the website.)

Different Drummer: Experiment 626 (Stitch)

192: 100 Ways

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 23:31:54 -0500

I recall an exercise that I found unexpectedly challenging: making 100 clear and simple statements about myself that were true and affirming, in the sense of not being negative. I've been sharing parts of this throughout Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth podcasts. This time, I revist that list.

Different Drummer: John Pavlovitz

Walk The Earth 43

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 17:58:42 -0500

Whether following Jesus collectively is still possible when up to 80% of evangelical Christians no longer think "character is all that matters" in leadership decisions?

191: False Political Prophecies

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 23:24:48 -0500

When you understand the persecution a group thinks they will suffer, whether based on rational conclusions or not, it provides great insight into what they would do if given ultimate and absolute power. We are wise to be wary. The people who predicted Obama would "round up" both Christians and guns might just pose a similar dire threat to their perceived political enemies. We haven't done a sufficient job of denouncing false prophecies in recent years, and now we must deal with the political consequences.
I apologize, President Obama, on behalf of all Christians for the false and hateful things said about you during the past 8 years from the pulpit and over the airwaves by self-proclaimed Christians. They were as wrong as their predictions have turned out to be.

Different Drummer: Bette Midler

Walk The Earth 42

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 23:54:27 -0500

Whether Jesus accomplished a micro-personal goal or macro-theological purpose through his crucifixion?

190: Dear Family Member

Sun, 06 Nov 2016 23:53:42 -0500

Perhaps we have reached a point where the most important decisions I'll make in this lifetime can no longer be discussed with family members. They don't want to hear it. My challenges are confusing, even aggravating. Would it be best if I just, I don't know, talked less and smiled more?

Different Drummer: Alexander Hamilton

Walk The Earth 41

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 23:44:52 -0400

Whether both sons are "lost" in the Parable of The Prodigal Son?

189: Apocalyptic Visions

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 00:01:54 -0400

I've been warning people about the dangers of hypocrisy for more than three decades now, doing so as if I might face some harsh judgment if I don't. I'm still sounding the alarm today, sometimes with opinion and other times with quotation.

Different Drummer: Ezekiel of Jerusalem

188: Constitutional Crisis

Sun, 04 Sep 2016 21:38:26 -0400

In 2016, a majority of Americans in the U.S. Senate, who took a vow to uphold the United States Constitution, have directly violated that Constitution and jeopardized protections guaranteed in the Bill Of Rights in the process. Worse, a large number of American citizens don't seem to care, either about our founding principles or about the balance of power and our system of checks and balances. This is the biggest Constitutional crisis in my lifetime, perhaps going all the way back to the U.S. Civil War.

Different Drummer: Buzz Kulik

Walk The Earth 40

Sun, 28 Aug 2016 17:46:20 -0400

Whether pilgrimage is about a sacred place, the historical past, or just my individual "walk"?

187: Television Debut (1972-73)

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 23:37:45 -0400

The 1972-73 television season is the first time I can remember seeking out new shows on TV, beyond just Saturday morning cartoons. Even at a young age, I was able to find under-appreciated programs that I still love to this day.

Different Drummer: Peter Cushing

I Am a Child Of Television blog

Cosmic Potato Podcast #26

Treks In Sci-Fi #565

Treks In Sci-Fi #590

Walk The Earth 39

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 22:10:12 -0400

Whether prayer is an act of futility or simply beyond our comprehension?

If our prayers are just words ...

186: Consent

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 06:48:25 -0400

Topics: Consent, Orlando, Brexit, Segregation, Abortion, Secretly Timid (Pride 48).

Different Drummer: Nan Little Kirkpatrick

185: The Music of My Father

Sun, 12 Jun 2016 12:44:27 -0400

My father died decades ago, gone so long that memory is the only way to interact with him. Music is a big part of those memories, and he was the only member of our family who didn't play an instrument. He still left his musical notes in the form of taste, curiosity, and patience. Hopefully, that is one of the things the world still sees of him through me.

Different Drummer: Gisele MacKenzie
Father's Day weekend is also the live streaming event on Pride 48 this year.

Walk The Earth 38

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 22:38:45 -0400

Whether being slow to try fasting is a spiritual problem?

184: One-ders 2 (NSFW)

Wed, 18 May 2016 23:58:33 -0400

While identifying artists with only one song on my MP3 player a year ago, I noted that some of the tracks qualify as "not safe for work" (NSFW) and set them aside for a follow-up podcast in the future. Now.

Different Drummer: Dee Snider
The Party Starts Now I Don't Care About You Short D@#k Man I Must Increase My Bust Freak Me Let It Whip Sportin' a Woody Monster He Touched Me whiteliberalonwhiteliberalaction Flagpole Sitta If I Had a Rocket Launcher Fake Breasts Buddies Jose Cuervo Brand New Key Slave to my D@#k Turning Japanese Shake Them Ti##ies Too Young To Date This Clouded Heart Do Me You Oughta Know

183: Commemoration Days

Fri, 06 May 2016 22:34:53 -0400

This Sunday in 2016 is more than just Mother's Day observed in the United States of America. It's also a day the world recognizes as the end of one of the bloodiest military conflicts in world history. Most of us, though, do not really recognize the date, at least not like we recognize dates at the beginning of that same world war. Perhaps we don't commemorate enough of the right days.
Different Drummer: Lee Marvin

Walk The Earth 37

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 22:53:39 -0400

Whether it is acceptable to recognize and celebrate the holy days of other religions with those believers?

Answering The Grief Police about Prince Rogers Nelson

182: Murdering Friendship

Sat, 09 Apr 2016 22:48:45 -0400

We may have very solid, and seriously unfortunate, reasons why many men do not successfully maintain contact with friends throughout our lives. Women seem to hold onto relationships more naturally. Those (often false) perceptions about what is and isn't natural may be the explanation.

Different Drummer: Mark Greene

Why Do We Murder the Beautiful Friendships of Boys? References:
Remaking Manhood: The Modern Masculinity Movement: Stories from the Front Lines of Change
and
Forbidden or Sacred Friendships

Walk The Earth 36

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 22:19:06 -0400

Whether Jesus denounced the use of a homophobic slang term in one of his sermons?

thomsense

181: 'Part Time' and Strong Women

Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:56:48 -0400

The theme for World Storytelling Day 2016 (March 20th) is Strong Women.
"Part Time (A Neosurrealist Preparing Responses Before an Exit Interview)" combines dream narratives and imagery.
"What The Neighbors Think" relates a story from SWIM (really) that is NSFW (definitely).

Different Drummer: Klixen

Walk The Earth 35

Mon, 22 Feb 2016 22:54:41 -0500

Whether whether modern evangelical outreach has become an inoculation against the Holy Spirit?

Greetings From Nowhere 294

180: Jesus Quote Bubble

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:18:01 -0500

Perhaps the best way to answer the inaccurate and probably blasphemous words being put into the mouth of Jesus by some pastors and politicians is to quote Jesus of Nazareth at length. My favorite way of doing that is sharing The Sermon On The Mount. For better or worse, I've chosen to do that in a way that might have gotten me burned at the stake a few hundred years ago.

Different Drummer: John Wycliffe

Tea Party Jesus - the Tumblr

179: Minding your P's & Q's, part 5

Sun, 24 Jan 2016 17:32:08 -0500

Short subjects:College football - greater stakes, greater shenanigans.Film criticism - favorite versus best pictures.Republican National Committee - when a survey is anything but.NCAA - is opposition to pro-discrimination laws just talk, PR?
Your points and questions in selected feedback.
Different Drummer: Marcello Mastroianni

Walk The Earth 34

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 14:28:00 -0500

Whether it's appropriate for theists to believe that there is more than one God?
(Whether it is acceptable to recognize and celebrate the holy days of other religions with those believers?)

That God Show podcast

Formerly Fundie

178: The Best of Simply Syndicated

Sat, 19 Dec 2015 23:17:49 -0500

Simply Syndicated is the home for many of my favorite podcasts. They have been producing several shows since 2005, and about 4 years ago I made a list of my favorite moments from the first 5 or 6 years. I'm expecting most, if not all, of those original podcasts to be available via Simply Everything in the near future, if they aren't already there.

The Definitive Word - Embarrassing Moments
Crimes Against Food - Christmas
Masters Of None - Worst Xmas Songs of All Time (1)
Movies You Should See - Christmas Movies 2008
Here Goes Nothing - Nintendo Big Band (The Skits)
For Those About To Rock - The Real Thing (Faith No More)
Starbase 66 - 1st Anniversary Show
Starbase 66 - bloopers with Nerd Hurdles
Nerd Hurdles - Complete TOSsers
Weekend Watches #27
Make It So #52
The Definitive Word - Plastic Surgery

Different Drummer: Will Tristram

Simply Everything

Walk The Earth 33

Sun, 13 Dec 2015 23:18:16 -0500

Whether reconciling Christmas with its inherent deceptions is necessary?

Walk The Earth 32

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 06:40:30 -0500

Whether Thanksgiving is a Christian holy day or merely a national holiday?

177: Transitional Terminology

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:32:47 -0500

Looking back on this recording, I didn't once mention public restrooms and who is doing what business in which places. That is surprising considering all of the political rhetoric connecting gender identity and public facilities, most recently coming out of Texas. I'm not disappointed by the oversight. In fact, I'm pleased. In addition to making a transition in the courtesy we show others, in how we address people, there are many other aspects of gender identity and sexual orientation that we need to remove from bathroom talk, to rise above.

Different Drummer: Wendy Carlos

Human Sexuality Is Complicated ...

176: Halloween Sabbath

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 20:42:22 -0400

My Sunday School teacher when I was in high school worked for the local newspaper where he was, among other things, the music critic. A good guy, he wasn't the type to denounce rock 'n' roll as "the devil's music" or anything like that. On the other hand, he did tell me that I would one day grow out of my interest in early Black Sabbath and no longer have any use for their albums. Well, I have since bought the original eight "Ozzy years" albums on CD, so that prediction completely missed the mark. No, I still love many aspects of early Black Sabbath and never hesitate to share that love. I have some friends who have made the most of the phrase, "mix tapes mean 'I love you.'" That came to mind when I stitched together this last (for this year anyway) Halloween tribute on Inappropriate Conversations.

Different Drummer: Rory Guy

175: Halloween Tricks

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:05:30 -0400

"Tricks" refers to more spooky, scary, traditional elements of Halloween in music, movies, and performance art. Less from childhood and more from college on, this reminds me of candles, incense, and very strange sounds coming from either my television or stereo.

Different Drummer: Molly Harvey

The Weatherman

Life Would Be Wonderful 2

174: Halloween Treats

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 19:05:03 -0400

"Treats" stands for a juvenile, as in young or childish, look at Halloween. This sound collage taps into several moments of observing the "trick or treat" time of year as a kid.

Different Drummer: Rod Serling

173: Seeing Spot Run

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 06:54:31 -0400

I don't want to talk about gun control. It's a topic I have generally avoided, partly because the conversation usually misses the point. It isn't about controlling ownership -- the confiscation hysteria -- and it should be all about maintaining a "control" over our standards for usage. Only the fully qualified (law enforcement, hunters, National Guard) and properly trained (a standard that will eliminate even some of the legally qualified) should be using weapons in public. My subconscious called this obvious requirement to my mind this week, while I was trying not to dream about the latest in a long series of deadly school shootings.

Different Drummer: William Hamby

What If Gun Laws Were Like Abortion Laws?

Redrawing the Responsibility Line: A "Radically Moderate" Take on Gun Control

Walk The Earth 31

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 19:31:56 -0400

Whether pagan influences or appropriation is an issue in secular or even religious holidays?

172: Proud To Know You 2

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:51:43 -0400

Two years ago, I made a head decision -- an intellectual choice -- to attend a Pride48 event as soon as schedules could be coordinated. The time lag says a lot about my vacation schedule and nothing about my resolve. This year, I can say as a heart decision -- a more spiritual confidence -- that it was one of the better plans I've made. Anyone who has followed previous vacation episodes knows that my wife and I make excellent travel plans, too. So, while I normally don't do recap shows, it just makes sense to talk about "what I did on my summer vacation" as a follow-up to the original Proud To Know You episode on Inappropriate Conversations (#128).

Different Drummer: Kathy Baldock

Canyon Walker Connections story on evol =

Pride48

171: Walking The Earth

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 23:04:35 -0400

The Walk The Earth podcast hit a milestone of sorts in recent weeks with an episode recorded before a live audience. Seems like a good time for Inappropriate Conversations to look back at the still-building history of Walk The Earth, including the mission of the show and the questions I have attempted to answer.

Different Drummer: Francis of Assisi

Walk The Earth 30

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 18:34:50 -0400

Whether you can ever go back to this moment in history?

(Live from Pride 48, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 28, 2015)

Walk The Earth 29

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 22:46:30 -0400

Whether a happily married Christian should attend a Pride event with gay friends and allies?

170: The Book Of Nature

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 23:53:32 -0400

Time as a concept is, once again, the stumbling block for many people -- including Christians -- on the relationship between sinfulness and the nature of evil and pain. An inadequate understanding of words like logos, chronos, and kairos doesn't help. The unwillingness of outspoken Christians to read the book of nature as reverently as the book of scripture is, perhaps, the biggest problem of all.

Different Drummer: Sandy Owen

"The Sparkle" from Montage by Sandy Owen: Ensemble

169: Before Politics Became 'a Game'

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 00:30:55 -0400

Perhaps on some level American politics has always had its share of game strategy. Maybe it's a myth that our so-called "founding fathers" set aside their own interests to form a new nation, and maybe all the key elements of the U.S. Constitution really just came from one influential leader trying to trick or embarrass a political enemy and that's the only way we actually have a freedom to assemble, for example. Seems unlikely, Even if such claims were true, we still have a major issue today with the poor quality of game being played.

Different Drummer: Dwight Eisenhower

Walk The Earth 28

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 22:41:37 -0400

Whether a sense of patriotism invalidates the separation of church and state or similar founding principles in the United States of America?

"O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee" (Washington Gladden, H. Percy Smith)

168: Epistles From Gay Christians

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 00:14:14 -0400

Strident Christian views about homosexuality have compromised any defense of infallibility, causing some to question the existence of God. Certainly there is justification for denying the validity of their anti-LGBTQ worldview. After all, in less than a decade “religious right” speakers presuming to represent Christianity have moved from there is no such thing as sexual orientation to homosexuality is just a choice to maybe it isn’t a choice but there can’t be anything inherent to it to if it is inherent in some way it still cannot possibly by “natural” to either way it’s just a behavior that represents a rebellion against God to those people can attend church but they can never be members of our congregation to perhaps they can join us in Christian fellowship but only if they take a vow of involuntary celibacy to perhaps it is inevitable that some of them will live together but we don’t want to know what that intimacy entails to God can forgive all sins but not the sin of those people wanting to get married. Frankly, it is dizzying how many times a perfect and never-changing God has put a completely different idea, or strategy, into the mouths of those who purport to speak on behalf of deity. This Inappropriate Conversation is going to give the soapbox to a totally different group, gay Christians. "Why worship a God of love if doing so means denying the possibility of experiencing love?" (N.T., Australia). What do we do if some Christians don’t want LGBTQ people worshiping God in the first place? Where do we find either the Great Commission or the Great Commandments in that Christian worldview? Perhaps, the Spirit of the living God is pointing us in a different direction. We should listen.

Different Drummer: John Shore

167: Speaking Truth To Power

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 23:26:29 -0400

On June 22, 1633, Galileo was sentenced by the Roman Inquisition for being "vehemently suspect of heresy." He had told the truth, that the earth revolved around the sun according to astronomical evidence, but he was forced to recant that truth. There is a great deal of scientific knowledge we either would not have today, or would have obtained in very different ways, if Galileo had chosen a different course, if he had been "silenced" by more violent means. Speaking truth to power, as the saying goes, is rarely as clear as it sounds. Sometimes it doesn't require formal speech at all. A simple smartphone video can have the same impact today.

Different Drummer: Galileo Galilei

Walk The Earth 27

Sat, 06 Jun 2015 23:17:38 -0400

Whether sanctuary means the same thing today as the center of Christian worship has in the past?

166: One-ders

Sat, 30 May 2015 15:45:51 -0400

Most music fans these days are very comfortable with just one song from an artist. I'm not. I tend to be a collector, almost an archivist. For that reason, I was very surprised at the number of "one song only" artists there are on my MP3 player, although I was not surprised at how deeply I love those lonely songs.

Different Drummer: Joseph Haydn

165: Memorial Music

Mon, 18 May 2015 23:26:57 -0400

"I'll remember you, though," the title character of Lilo & Stitch says to the other as the alien leaves her home, "I remember everyone that leaves." How is the question. How do we remember those who leave? I've turned that question toward myself and provided some possible answers with songs.

Different Drummer: Joseph Henry Burnett

Walk The Earth 26

Tue, 12 May 2015 22:58:32 -0400

Whether the Holy Spirit deserves more recognition as God working in our lives?

164: Vinyl Box Sets

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 23:20:24 -0400

Where did the box set of popular music come from anyway? Long before CDs or cassette tapes, the first version of this format came in vinyl. I can't recall seeing any example prior to a series put out by the marketing division of a watch company that doesn't rest.

Different Drummer: Jack Stelzer

The Longines Symphonette proudly presents Mexicali Brass

163: It Is Not Who You Know

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 22:24:43 -0400

For me, celebrity encounters have almost always been chance encounters. I don't seek and collect autographs. I often forget to get pictures taken, even at reunions or meet-ups. It's not that I don't value those rare occasions to speak with someone who has been an inspiration, including a couple of Different Drummers. It's more understanding that "it's not about me" and it certainly isn't a matter of putting who you know above everything else.

Different Drummer: Garth Brooks

Walk The Earth 25

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 19:09:57 -0400

Whether Easter Sunday is the most important day in the church calendar?

162: First Do No Harm

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 01:04:49 -0400

America's commitment to vaccination has been so great that nearly 2 million children committed to test a vaccine in the 1950s, so why would anyone walk away from the protection this has provided over any modern understanding of "safety" and risk?
Most Americans look back at the Jim Crow era with a great deal of embarrassment, justifiably, so why would anyone want to establish a set of "Jesus Crow" laws that surely will be just as embarrassing in the future -- to Christians in particular?
When World Vision completely reversed a proposed policy change just a few days after threats from influential conservative Christians immediately put thousands of children at risk, why didn't those same Christians victoriously, and perhaps even smugly, return to reinstate their support for the organization?
Sadly, these questions have no intelligent answers. They merely reflect the pungent state of anti-intellectualism in the United States of America today.

Different Drummer: Jonas Salk

161: Debilitation

Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:07:39 -0400

Life tends to end either suddenly (too short) are through debilitation. There are exceptions, of course. Some deaths may not even qualify as tragic. It seems that debilitating illness has become more common as people live longer. The reminder this provides, though, is how crucial it is to not wait until a metaphorical tomorrow to say what needs to be said, create what our hearts long to create, stand up and be counted. Allowing our ability to fade before our desire truly is tragic.

Different Drummer: Linda Ronstadt

NPR Fresh Air: Linda Ronstadt with Terry Gross

Walk The Earth 24

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 23:20:57 -0400

Whether drinking alcohol should be permitted as Christians celebrate, interact?

160: Performance in a Supporting Role

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 23:03:29 -0500

Determining the difference between Academy Award nominations for acting in a leading role versus a supporting role isn't always easy. It doesn't seem like a precise distinction can be made. Even within the range of supporting performances, there is a significant difference between the cameo and the roles typically occupied by character actors. At their best, though, even small contributions can make a huge impact on the story or other characters. This year, in fact, the Oscar that interested me most was Best Supporting Actress. I was not disappointed.

Different Drummer: Michel Piccoli

159: Substantial Sexuality

Sun, 22 Feb 2015 00:21:10 -0500

I would have to confess that using terminology like "substantial beauty" refers to a perception that large female sexual characteristics are particularly attractive. At times, our society has veered widely between a bigger-is-better mentality and our current notion that anyone who isn't bordering on malnourished is "plus sized" or fat. Having a sexual interest in women includes a full range of sizes and shapes. It is only wrong to call that wrong. On the other hand, I know what I like. I worry about those who have so suppressed who they are, including their tastes and preferences, that they cannot honestly say they know what they like.

Different Drummer: Anita Ekberg

Walk The Earth 23

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 23:46:36 -0500

Whether the church should have a point of view about sexuality?

158: Track By Track

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:14:05 -0500

For the era of album-oriented music (rock, jazz, etc.), understanding the history of a musical artist or group happened at a track-by-track level. Back then we bought albums rather than songs, and the way those tracks were laid out on either vinyl or plastic was part of the artistry.

Different Drummer: Brian Eno

Track By Track at InappropriateConversations.org

157: Letting Justice Roll

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:41:20 -0500

As a writer, I always knew that "dumping the notebook" would create a longer and less focused news story. The time and discipline it takes to match ideas and paraphrase would trade density for brevity, rather than the opposite. This look at how police work is conducted today and the impact that has on local, particularly minority, communities does the opposite. It's more sprawling and anything but brief. On an issue where jumping to quick conclusions is far too common, I felt the need to take more time. The short summary is simple, though: we can do better than we are today.

Different Drummer: Amos of Tekoa

Walk The Earth 22

Sat, 03 Jan 2015 08:57:28 -0500

Whether the prophets of old have been, or need to be, updated by contemporary prophecy?

156: Boxing Day

Thu, 25 Dec 2014 21:53:02 -0500

It's both accurate and inaccurate to describe Boxing Day as a time to remember people who are in working class positions or struggling economically. When I was told that December 26th was the day set aside for sharing old and no-longer-wanted toys with others, that actually drifts a bit from the true Commonwealth history of the holiday. All the same, it is a nice and fitting idea.

Different Drummer: Elvis Costello

Songs recorded by Elvis Costello

155: Twleve Days

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:20:35 -0500

Most Americans probably perceive the "12 days of Christmas" to be intense retail shopping days before Christmas. The expression actually refers to the true period of Christmas celebration starting on the selected date of December 25th and counting from there. It makes me wonder why many people are so focused on pulling down decorations and silencing all holiday hymns right in the middle of those 12 days. I understand the argument that we start too soon. I would also understand an argument that we end too soon, too.

Different Drummer: Jean Shepherd

Walk The Earth 21

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 23:34:27 -0500

Whether serving at a food bank or soup kitchen is more worshipful than what we call church?

154: Holiday Jukebox

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 07:13:07 -0500

Even from an Advent Calendar perspective, I prefer music to chocolate. This includes Christmas music, both reverent and irreverent, along with songs that would be more accurately described as "winter holiday" than Christmas music.

Different Drummer: George Frideric Handel

153: Audio Advent Booklet

Sun, 23 Nov 2014 16:59:45 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving week! As an Advent Booklet of sorts, the content for this episode really applies to next Sunday. Advent begins on November 30th this year. You can listen all at once or take the content one week at a time between now and Christmas.

Different Drummer: John Fahey

Walk The Earth 20

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:12:27 -0500

Whether the church has a vital role to play in national elections?

152: Anticipating the Bang

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 22:01:03 -0400

The best thing about suspense films, whether thrillers or horror, is the build up not the payoff. Getting the the edge of your seat doesn't happen at the moment of shock or surprise, it happens on the way there. Les Diaboliques is one of my favorite examples. It's a movie that might be described as the one that got away from Hitchcock.

Different Drummer: Alfred Hitchcock

Spoiler scene from the 1954-55 Clouzot film

151: Minding your P's & Q's, part 4

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 23:29:23 -0400

Time to respond to feedback, formally, for the fourth time. The P's and Q's are your points and questions. Thanks!

Different Drummer: Michael J. Fox

Walk The Earth 19

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:48:18 -0400

Whether travel, health, rain and other hopes should be the primary focus of prayer?

150: Opening The Scriptures

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 01:10:57 -0400

Scriptures, in order of appearance:

Acts 17: 10-12

Hebrews 5:7 – 6:3

1 Corinthians 2:11 – 3:11

Romans 12: 1-6

Psalms 19:14

Matthew 5: 13-24

John 19: 28-30

Galatians 3: 6-18

Galatians 3: 23-29

James 2: 8-13

Romans 13: 8-10

Galatians 5: 1-15

Matthew 25: 31-46

John 8: 1-11

Luke 10: 25-37

John 4: 1-30

John 14: 1-10

Luke 14: 1-24

Matthew 18:21 – 19:12

Isaiah 56: 1-8

Luke 6:43 – 7:10

Matthew 8: 5-13

John 10: 1-18

Mark 8: 27-38

Acts 4:32 – 5:16

Mark 3: 20-35

Matthew 7: 21-24

Luke 13: 22-30

Mark 12: 18-34

Deuteronomy 6: 1-9

Leviticus 19: 15-18

Romans 13: 1-10

1 Corinthians 12:27 – 14:1

John 3: 1-17

Numbers 21: 4-9

Hebrews 11:1 – 12:11

John 5: 39-44

Philippians 3: 2-15

Revelations 3: 14-22

Matthew 23: 1-39

Matthew 28: 1-20

Mark 2: 13-17

Amen.

Promos, in order of appearance:

Anomaly (0:13:45)

Violent Femmes “Rejoice and Be Happy (0:26:15)

Take Him With You (1:34:45)

Songs For Jenny (1:35:20)

Here Goes Nothing (1:48:00)

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (1:59:20)

Starbase 66 (2:20:00)

Atomic Trivia War 9000 (2:58:45)

Greetings From Nowhere (3:19:00)

Thanks!

Different Drummer: Nicole Villacres

John Shore: Taking God At His Word

Walk The Earth 18

Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:12:55 -0400

Whether faith can abide superstition and where to draw a line between the two?

149: Truly Respecting Elders

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:20:56 -0400

This Sunday is National Grandparents' Day, which has been a secular holiday since 1978, or so I'm told. The day doesn't receive anywhere near the respect, or marketing, of days for mothers and fathers. I suspect a large number of grandparents could argue that insufficient respect is par for the course. What does it mean, though, to "respect your elders" as I've been told many times in my life? I believe real respect means remembering what they've said and done, challenging them when they fall short of those same values they taught, and building upon the solid parts of the foundation they have set. It also means refusing to rest on the faults, though. I'll grant that this approach sounds strict, but I was raised by elders with strict standards. Being judged by their own principles is both respectful and fitting.

Different Drummer: Ahmir Thompson

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/07/questlove-trayvon-martin-and-i-aint-shit.html

148: Freedom Of Song

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 19:06:33 -0400

If I had been younger when record companies began putting warning labels on albums and tapes, responding to pressure from the Parents Music Resource Center and others, I'm sure I would have responded like almost every teenager I observed while working in a record store. The "Tipper sticker" served as a beacon, telling them which albums to buy. Only very rarely did I observe this attempt at censorship (some associated with the PMRC openly hoped their approach would lead to album bans) go in the other direction, with the sticker telling "concerned parents" not to fund a purchase. It did reveal some significant ethics and intelligence lapses within the United States Senate. In that respect, the sad spectacle delivered some nominal value.

Different Drummer: Frank Zappa

Walk The Earth 17

Mon, 11 Aug 2014 21:55:49 -0400

Whether the Sunday School calendar should follow the school year, including a dormant period for summer months?

147: Love And Happiness

Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:53:16 -0400

Friends have recently called to my attention that I've insufficiently emphasized the most important of my human relationships. It is true. One reason is trying to keep some private things private. Another is that I forget how a passionate lifelong romantic partnership is, perhaps, strange. I'd never want to take anything for granted though.
Note: I could have gone without the explicit language tag -- arguably -- but it's a practical joke on my wife to have this Inappropriate Conversation labeled that way.

Different Drummer: David Sanborn

Night Music episode 212

Walk The Earth 16

Sun, 13 Jul 2014 14:07:07 -0400

Whether the concept of "home church" is necessary or merely particularism?

Also:
Some thoughts on 1 John 4: 7-21

Greetings From Nowhere 1
Greetings From Nowhere 2

Take Him With You 1
Take Him With You 2

146: The Idea Of Christ

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 17:52:52 -0400

A century ago in sermons and speeches that would become My Utmost For His Highest, the current sad state of Christianity was described aptly with the question, "Are you loyal to Jesus or to your notion of him?" by Oswald Chambers. We see the problem when Christians openly dispute the things Jesus said, or when popular versions of Bible stories don't match the "inspired word of God" and those obsessed with Biblical perfection fail to side with the inerrant text. Chambers might say that we are guilty of siding with what we believe without much regard for God's will. If this is true of individuals, it is certainly true of organizations and groups -- no matter how we may defer to their "religious beliefs."

Different Drummer: Oswald & Gertrude Chambers

Walk The Earth 15

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 22:33:25 -0400

Whether maintaining a hierarchy of sins is itself un-Biblical and sinful?

145: Transparency and Secrets

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:40:48 -0400

Business author Jason Jennings once raised the question: what's the good business reason for doing this? It's a notion we should apply to other aspects of life. The church should mix this with "what would Jesus do?" slogans and challenge whether congregations have asked about the good Jesus reasons before taking a stand. Likewise, in the area of state secrets, our government leaders need to ask themselves tough questions before classifying documents. Making secrets out of things that either ought to be public or should not be done in the first place is abominable public policy.

Different Drummer: Edward Snowden

Walk The Earth 14

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 22:54:52 -0400

Whether equipping virtually can effectively lead to an actual outreach?

144: The Death of The Author

Sun, 25 May 2014 08:44:39 -0400

The birth of a pseudonym tends to be all about necessity, but the death of a pen name is rarely chronicled. I've been speaking, here and there, about The Author since the second Inappropriate Conversations podcast. Here is the rest of that story, in a surrealistic way.
Different Drummer: M. C. Escher

Walk The Earth 13

Mon, 19 May 2014 21:54:20 -0400

Whether membership must focus on a single church, as if fidelity is more to a congregation than to Christ?

143: Verticality of Time

Mon, 12 May 2014 23:36:46 -0400

Imagine that everything you ever have done and everything you ever will do has either already happened in a single flash of "time" or is happening now. Everything. We are only aware of an echo, a flow from that moment of reality, and it appears to proceed horizontally to us. What if the bigger picture functions vertically, though, and instantaneously? Our perspective on several theological concepts would be very different, and so would our relationships.

Different Drummer: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

142: Minding The Gap

Sat, 26 Apr 2014 12:52:06 -0400

A long trip and a long interval between podcasts may call for a long episode. This nostalgia show covers my recent journey through England, Scotland, and Wales. Please, mind the gap while you are listening to this show. Our next stop will be the verticality of time. Thanks for listening!

Different Drummer: John Peel

Walk The Earth 12

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 16:26:36 -0400

Whether the concept of tithing applies to the giver or to the church as the receiver?

Walk The Earth 11

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 07:32:29 -0400

Whether the notion of "things we don't discuss in church" is strangling our ministry?

141: Good Monsters

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 14:57:19 -0400

Rather than noting what is in this World Storytelling Day episode, I'll note what is regrettably missing.

* Not much personal storytelling, despite a commitment to return to nostalgia a few weeks ago.
* Repeating some material from Inappropriate Conversations #50 about Lilo & Stitch.
* Insufficient callout to the band The Peddlers for the theme song to The Lost Continent.
* Planned but forgot to connect the "sound" of Dana Gillespie to Candye Kane.
* Missed an opportunity to feature at least a clip from the blues singing of the Different Drummer.
* Perhaps even fell short on fully noting the impact of an actress and costume designer on me at a young age.

Despite missing some elements, the "monsters and dragons" topic for storytellers this March 20 brought out my memories of good monsters, both literally and ironically.

Different Drummer: Dana Gillespie

Walk The Earth 10

Sun, 09 Mar 2014 15:16:00 -0400

Whether condemnation of a denomination based on its lack of prejudice is really more of an endorsement?

140: Gathering 'round the Campfire

Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:37:36 -0500

So-called "mountaintop experiences" are often called "beyond description" by those who are careful about sharing religious experiences. I know. I am one of those people, with podcast episodes like this one being an exception. With a connection to the team building concepts in the previous show on spiritual development, let's go behind the scenes -- metaphorically around the campfire -- at a spiritual retreat or two.

Different Drummer: Max Lucado

139: Spiritual Stunting and Divine Development

Sun, 23 Feb 2014 00:05:19 -0500

Community building relies more heavily on understanding the stages of spiritual growth than we often realize. Team building does not hinge upon every member being at the same level of maturity and experience. It is crucial, though, to understand the progression and manage those differences with unity as the common purpose. Sadly, this does not describe very many groups in our society today, including churches.

Different Drummer: M. Scott Peck

138: Missing Someone I Never Knew

Sat, 15 Feb 2014 23:15:32 -0500

Storytelling has always been a part of Inappropriate Conversations. Sometimes that involves telling the stories of others to make a point. Other times it truly is personal storytelling in the realm of nostalgia. I learned an important lesson this month about the power of personal storytelling, as if answers to questions I was raising might be coming from the grave.

Different Drummer: Frank Capra

Walk The Earth 9

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 06:26:04 -0500

Whether we can call a church a home if children "must know their place" within its walls?

137: Gambling on Taxation and Tourism

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:57:18 -0500

My position on gambling tends toward indifference. I'm less likely to make obvious observations about criminal activity or other societal implications than I am to reject ideas that state-sponsored gambling lowers taxes or drives tourism. In narrow (and largely long past) circumstances, that may have made some sense. Now, it is clearly less sustainable than the average "reality TV" show.

Different Drummer: Tom Waits

Walk The Earth 8

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 21:04:14 -0500

Whether "old" church (pre-Reformation) manages ritual better than church today in more modern or contemporary settings?

136: Converse versus Convert

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 07:37:31 -0500

It's not funny, it's hypocritical, how the same words can sound hateful or not based solely on whether they are heard rather than spoken. Sometimes we only understand the worst aspects of how we communicate when we hear ourselves through the angry words of others. The principle is very simple: if words you hear directed toward you are wounding rather than healing, then those same words directed toward others are hateful rather than loving.

Different Drummer: Peter of Bethsaida

Walk The Earth 7

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 18:56:52 -0500

Whether there is any one correct style of a ritual, including communion and baptism?

135: Nestor the Audio Commentary

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:04:48 -0500

From "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" Rankin/Bass Productions seemingly could do no wrong. Output from there was far less consistent, including

134: Gender Segregation

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 22:22:26 -0500

Once misinformation becomes "tradition" it is extremely difficult to correct. This is true of a pope 1,500 years ago who willfully merged the identity of several women into one misleading "Mary" to deliver a sermon series on sinful women. More broadly, it is true of those who ignore the way Jesus interacted with women during his earthly ministry. Walk The Earth podcast (6) looked at how these mistaken views of gender impact the local church. This Inappropriate Conversation looks at the impact to the church-universal and the great distance between the example of Christ and what we too often see today from clergy.

Different Drummer: Mary of Magdala

Walk The Earth 6

Sun, 08 Dec 2013 21:04:31 -0500

Whether gender plays a role in the experience of worship?

133: Radical Gratitude

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:25:41 -0500

I've been known to sarcastically say "life has dealt you a rotten set of cards" to people who lose track of the blessings they have received in the midst of temporary, and often small, setbacks. For example, I could complain that I've never had the talent to see a musical note on a page and fight the correct tone with my voice. As a music-by-ear singer, I tend to follow others rather than truly joining the choir. On the other hand, I should be grateful for all of the music I've imitated. Thanksgiving, as a day or a state of mind, means being grateful even when circumstances are much more severe.

Different Drummer: Horatio Spafford

Walk The Earth 5

Sun, 10 Nov 2013 22:18:24 -0500

Whether Sunday School hour is the best type of small group?

132: Animal Companionship

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 19:08:43 -0500

The animals we've brought into our home have always been more than pets. Truly, they've been family. I wonder if I would have been a different type of father -- less daddy and more disciplinarian -- if I hadn't first forged a relationship and taken responsibility for the growth of a puppy and kitten. Those animals have made their own contributions to the lives of our children, beyond just influencing my wife and me. For many of us, these creatures are a source of great thankfulness. This is the time of year to specifically remember animal shelters and the needs of local Humane Society locations. Please do.

Different Drummer: Susan Meddaugh

131: Christianity 301

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 19:16:59 -0400

Taking the Bible seriously.

Different Drummer: Rob Bell

Rob Bell answering questions

Walk The Earth 4

Mon, 07 Oct 2013 06:18:34 -0400

Whether the message itself differs inside versus outside of the sanctuary?

129: Biblical Literacy

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:49:06 -0400

"I love to tell the story" is a true statement whether the phrase ends "of Jesus and his love" like the hymn or with a disturbing denouement. Through parables or pure mythology, or even by the legends of the locker room, telling stories is crucial part of how we communicate. The best-selling book of all time is full of stories that we've historically taken for granted. What will become of our culture if many of us forget what those accounts relate?
Different Drummer: Steve Reich

130: Minding Your P's and Q's, part 3

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:28:45 -0400

Time to respond to feedback, formally, for the third time. The P's and Q's are your points and questions: excellent ideas for me to consider ... hopefully with adequate answers. Thanks!
Different Drummer: Richard Matheson

Walk The Earth 3

Sat, 14 Sep 2013 15:31:59 -0400

Whether a sermon is fundamentally the sharing of Word and Witness?

128: Proud To Know You

Mon, 02 Sep 2013 15:18:30 -0400

Pride 48 is the weekend of September 6th this year in Las Vegas. I would love to be there, but I can't. Even as recently as a year ago, I'd never considered attending an GLBT pride event before. Why would I, I could have said, not being gay? That, and questioning if there are better ways to defend people from discrimination than going to a meet-up. On the other hand, the absolute best way to tell someone "I am proud to know you, just as you are, and to continue our interactions because I anticipate my esteem of the person you will become" is in person. Face to face. I am proud to know you.

Different Drummer: Janet of CToBM

Walk The Earth 2

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 22:16:59 -0400

Whether the church is a building and the traditions built there?

127: The Sin of Silence

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 15:48:37 -0400

Elie Wiesel once said: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." I believe I've received similar direction in answered prayer. Too often, though, Christians are silent in the face of bullying and marginalization of those on the other side of privilege. More often than we'd like to admit, Christians join the oppressors. All of this is sinful, the log in our eyes that stops us from clearly seeing others, must less serving them as Jesus taught and demonstrated.

Different Drummer: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

wte1

Sun, 04 Aug 2013 00:32:28 -0400

Whether membership at a local church is as eternal as being part of the body of Christ?

126: Less Than Human

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 22:16:29 -0400

Treating some in our midst as expendable is, sadly, a very human condition. Taking it as a challenge, though, I've realized that it's nearly impossible to find "pro-life" advocates who are capable of reducing our society's reliance upon abortion. Most seem more devoted to creating unwanted pregnancy than curtailing it. Worse, the focus is less about making a difference in the lives of women and their children and more about self-righteously proclaiming disapproval. It is heartbreaking for those of us who care about unborn children and also women who feel they cannot bear them. "Both" is a choice we are rarely asked to consider. Different Drummer: Nanci Griffith

Audio Promo: #IC 126

Sun, 28 Jul 2013 23:59:31 -0400

Next up on Inappropriate Conversations: human sacrifice. Take Him With You #208 has valuable background material.

125: Documenting Sports History

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:45:36 -0400

Prior to 2009, documentaries about sports were not that easy to find. I had seen a couple, both related to Olympic years, where the politics were as much in focus as the events or athletes. With its "30 For 30" series, ESPN has changed everything. For the most part, these aren't just good "sports" documentaries; they are great features. Now, in depth and behind the scenes explorations of great sporting events are not just common, they are uncommonly good. I also offer some too quick and too short thoughts on George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. Different Drummer: Bo Jackson

124: Harder-core Than Thou

Sun, 07 Jul 2013 09:13:16 -0400

It is possible, from recent shows, that my tastes in music seem a bit soft. I've spoken about easy listening (The Ink Spots) and Christian music (Chris Rice) at some length lately. Truth is, my tastes vary wildly. Most people think they have a broad taste in music; typically, that means broadly within a genre. I cut both across and deep, with examples here that don't include any jazz (Anthony Braxton, for example), and at a length that had to skip things as obvious as Sepultura or Metallica and as niche as JFA (Jodie Foster's Army) and Laurie Anderson. Speaking of Anderson, here is her perspective: "So, sit bold, upright, in that straight-back chair. Button that top button. And get set for some difficult music ... ooh la ..." indeed. Different Drummer: Henry Rollins

123: Worth Fighting For

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 19:00:15 -0400

The first time I heard "This Is Worth Fighting For" from the World War II era, I remembered a story from a motivational speaker at a seminar. It was about a man struggling to return from an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and which voice among many ultimately talked him off the mountain. He didn't respond to reminders about his duty and obligation. He didn't react to the fear of friends and family that he might die. If his response was an indication of what was most worth fighting for, it proved to be the simplest things, not unlike a log cabin in a little valley with rows of corn planted nearby. Sometimes, the most impressive thing a state legislator can do is stand up. I believe the most important decision we can make on questions of marriage rights is to support people who love each other and ignore people who hate. Like the mountain climber, we often need to set aside anger and fear, choosing instead to respond to love. Different Drummer: Jamie Clarke

122: 'Past Tenths' of 'Disappear Here'

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 22:54:17 -0400

One of the ways I know that I lean toward introversion is my experience at reunions. In journals and poetry, I describe those events with both a longing and regret over what I might call invisibility. "Disappear Here" is the name of the poem. No doubt, it was inspired by the "people are afraid to merge" theme in Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Some people are afraid to merge; at least, I know one. I also answer the question: how do you know if you are a bigot? Different Drummer: Ingmar Bergman

121: The Power of a Moment

Mon, 27 May 2013 12:53:46 -0400

A great deal of what I want from fiction connects with The Sound And The Fury by William Faulkner, particularly the Quentin chapter ("June 2, 1910"). Despite the depressing narrative, I find hope in the connections between characters, including both flawed characters and flawed connections. There are moments in life that we always revisit, whether intentionally or not. I've had friends I haven't seen in years and may never see again, but on occasion it feels like I'm encountering them again through a new acquaintance. "Another Sean" is the expression I've used here, and I wonder if I've mentioned Sean before on the show. I doubt it. Such is the power of a chance encounter aligning itself with the subconscious. To answer Quentin's question: I have had many sisters, more than I could name if put on the spot, and just a couple of them share the same parents as me. Different Drummer: William Faulkner

120: Making Contact

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:05:49 -0400

I recall hearing in a Sociology course about a form of existentialism so dark that some people never accept they were alive until the moment of death itself. For most of us, even the slightest touch confirms what I'll jokingly call "our suspicion" that we actually exist. A handshake, pat on the back, or a hug can provide powerful validation. It's a mistake to take such an obvious thing for granted. Different Drummer: Leo Buscaglia

119: Taxes Are Not Tuition

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:45:53 -0400

All of us benefit when children grow up with a strong baseline education, and all of us suffer when schools fail. Some form of "public education" is essential in this Information Age. It isn't optional; meaning, it isn't acceptable for any part of our society to opt-out. The most common abdication of responsibility in this area over the past couple of decades is the voucher proposal, which would allow some parents to take tax money away from public schools and use it as "tuition" for private school admission. One major problem with this idea should be obvious: taxes are not tuition. Different Drummer: Derrick Thomas

118: Where Would I Be Without God?

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:11:02 -0400

Personally, the better answer to a question like "where would I be without God" calls up a lot of powerful memories. I know the Holy Spirit has moved in my life through specific people and situations, which I can recall as vividly as if the intervening decades disappeared. I can name the names, in fact, and I do a couple of times. They are people who loved me in a way that supersedes human understanding, empowering me to do God's will. I have loved. I do love. I will love. Different Drummer: Chris Rice

117: Originating Ideas

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:44:22 -0400

A few years ago, a question was posed to me online: where would you be without God? There are two answers, actually. One is personal, which I'll cover next week. The other is philosophical, a combination of ontological and cosmological arguments going back a thousand years. "God's existence is necessary for my existence" is, in some ways, a faith-based equivalent for "I think; therefore, I am." A very old and original Christian answer to this question is that without God, there would be no "me" to ask the question, much less attempt an answer. Different Drummer: Anselm of Aosta

116: I Am Not My Lawn

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:21:45 -0400

Idolatry can be described as making something other than God sacred, or treating things as objects of worship. It can be that direct, in the sense of idols, but it also can be as abstract as the notion of the "image" of ourselves that we show the world. Too often, these things interfere with our spirituality, even when they are deeply embedded within our rituals or temples. Different Drummer: Victoria Williams

115: Papa Talked To Me

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:37:00 -0500

It is almost a cliché to speak about strained communications between mothers and daughters or fathers and sons, but that doesn't make it any less true. The moments where my family has overcome those obstacles have had much to do with humor. Less successful situations tend to be hampered by either parent or child remaining silent, unable to find the right words. Long ago, a classic Swedish film taught me that sometimes talk, any talk, speaks volumes in these relationships whether the words are trite or profound. Different Drummer: Harriet Andersson Andersson in "Through A Glass Darkly" Conclusion of "Through A Glass Darkly"

114: The Father Of Lies

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:19:47 -0500

Citing language Jesus used to describe those who tell lies and defend deception in God's name, one of the most demonic spirits at work in our world has taken seed within Christianity. Lately, I have encountered politically active Christians who not only mislead people by putting words into Christ's mouth -- "Jesus tells us to hate" is one example -- but they also shrug their shoulders in confusion when taken to task for this. Jesus never taught that any ends would justify such means, and only a liar would claim otherwise. So, if "Satan is the father of all lies" as Jesus said, then we know a great evil has taken the microphone from prominent so-called "leaders" of the church and is speaking through organizations that often identify themselves with words like "family" and "evangelical." Don't be deceived. Different Drummer: Jonathan Nolan "Person Of Interest" Season 1 recap

113: Raised On Robbery

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:57:40 -0500

Exactly 30 years ago tonight (from the time of this posting) I was the victim of an armed robbery, staring down the barrel of a gun. I know a bit about courage, not because I demonstrated such resolve in the face of fear, but because I didn't. Nothing about that experience changed or solidified my perspective on gun control or gun violence. It did bring other changes, though, like maturity in facing my fears. Different Drummer: Joni Mitchell Behind the song: "A Case Of You"

112: Saying No To Myself

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:02:17 -0500

True fidelity probably isn't about never being in a position to say "yes" to a temptation. Don't get me wrong, that's a smart way to live. Fidelity means a bit more, though, when you've summoned the strength to say "no" to such a temptation. I can speak to this from experience, and I'll refer to three specific occasions. One story I've never mentioned before on Inappropriate Conversations. Another is a follow-up to a story a partially relayed in #IC 107 "Eulogy For Homophobia." Even further back, the last story refers to characters (in every sense of the word) that I introduced in #IC 52 "First Person Comedy." There is a sense in which the words "I didn't" are just as important as the words "I do." Different Drummer: James Joyce

111: Safeguarding Marriage

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:45:02 -0500

Should we tax adultery into oblivion or merely minister to its casualties? No, I don't really believe that using taxation as a punitive fine will stamp out infidelity in marriage, but it would stand a better chance of succeeding than other methods of "legislating morality." When I was a child, a wise man in our church taught me that the real answer to divorce is setting aside the urge to cast judgment and surrounding those dealing with the consequence of shattered relationships with the love of Christ. I wish the church today was filled with such wise people. Different Drummer: John Hughes

110: Whose Life It Is

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:13:55 -0500

In challenging emotional and ethical decisions related to the end of life, we are often told that no one can make that decision. "These matters belong to God," for example. Regardless of your religious beliefs, there is something false in such statements. By taking the ownership and responsibility for a life away from the person living that life, the control doesn't disappear completely; instead, it goes elsewhere and typically to those who neither know nor love the person facing the dilemma. The answer to the "whose life is it?" question simply cannot be the government, insurance agencies, hospitals, or politically active strangers. Different Drummer: Reba McEntire

109: Recognizing Christmas

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:09:36 -0500

The Nativity storyline runs throughout popular culture, but we often fail to notice even at Christmas time. Whether we don't expect it, or accept it, when it is told through rap music or in films like The Matrix, it's not hard to find examples of a chosen one entering into a dangerous and fallen world with a destiny to restore and renew. I hope you find the hope of Christmas in unexpected places this year. After all, "It's Christmas, Yes It Is"! Different Drummer: Phil Manzanera

108: The End of the World

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:17:18 -0500

With all the talk about Mayan calendars and the end of the world, it is past time to discuss Christian understandings, and misunderstandings, about end-times prophecies. The New Testament in the Bible contains more than one. More often than not, though, Christians fail to recognize fulfilled prophecy and presume instead that everything in a book like Revelations refers to future events. For those living in Jerusalem, though, the world (or, more precisely, the "Jewish Age") ended centuries ago. There can be serious consequences when we fail to acknowledge the past, including events in history when the Bible itself was still being written. Different Drummer: John (of Patmos?)

107: Eulogy for Homophobia

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:28:39 -0500

After speaking boldly about questions of sexual identity and unacceptable answers presented by the "religious right," it's important to turn the other cheek. I do not speak as someone who has always stood up for the rights of non-heterosexuals. No, I understand homophobia because I have experienced it. I have felt that irrational fear; and, even though I was much younger then, it's still important to put it to rest. I've recently seen a hashtag on Twitter -- #LeaveItIn2012. Let's leave homophobia in 2012. Ashes to ashes. Different Drummer: Freddie Mercury

106: The Violence Of Denial

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:35:10 -0500

We may hesitate to conclude that it's an act of violence to deny that someone exists or that he or she is real. So much damage has been done, though, by denying that people are who they say they are and their rights can be compromised as a result. This may be a quiet violence, but it cuts to the very core of what "human" even means in the context of human rights. Evangelical Christianity has been increasingly guilty of this during the past five decades, and I call out a podcast that I've praised in the past as a frustrating example. Different Drummer: Harvey Milk Human Sexuality Is Complicated

105: Press Coverage

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:14:40 -0500

Charges of liberal bias in the mainstream media fail to take into account the power of publishers as an authority that is likely to be more conservative than writers and editors. At the same time, the rise of politically conservative and evangelical-Christian alternatives for "the press" have led many people to turn away from large media conglomerates altogether. More and more citizens who aren't obsessed with ideology are getting their news and commentary online from blogs and podcasts, and it is making America surprisingly more like our colonial model than we would have expected. Different Drummer: Lee Strobel Many partisan-conservatives believe the media never ask hard questions of pro-choice candidates during debates and on the campaign trail. It isn't because those questions are difficult to answer. The second half of the show provides an off-the-cuff example.

104: Whoever Says The Truth (Shall Die)

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 00:56:21 -0400

Lore of the United States' "founding fathers" is that they were brave, creative thinkers who were not afraid to discuss ideas and both learn from and break with the past to create a new vision of the future. So why are our current leaders so frightened? At election time, both Republican and Democrat candidates seem to be fearful about the future, their past, and anything resembling "truth." Above all, they are afraid of independent political thought and 3rd parties -- meaning, non-RepubliCrats. Different Drummer: Pier Paulo Pasolini

103: The Thriller Is Gone

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:55:57 -0400

As a genre, "thriller" is different from horror or other suspense films, but that distinction is in grave danger of being lost forever. Before the most common forms of scary cinema became slashers or demonic possession, when serial killer movies were crime-dramas rather than gorefests, the thriller was the TV equivalent of the midnight movie. Now, with Halloween approaching, you are more likely to see Friday The Umpteenth than any of the classics starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, or Vincent Price. Film fans have lost more than we realize. Different Drummer: Jakob Rehlinger Arachnidisc's videos including Moonwood and Babel

102: Pouring Me a Vacation

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:55:58 -0400

Alcohol is a controlled substance -- a "drug" -- and it's the only one that I use. As a rule, I won't drink when I am angry or depressed. I also tend to invest more in the flavor than the feeling. More likely than not, this is another way that I don't quite fit in with most of society. My approach also doesn't work for fundamentalists. C.S. Lewis has rightly said that Christianity is not a teetotaler religion, but too many Christian legalists have found a way of compartmentalizing this fact without bothering to present a counter-argument. It's a dishonesty that I find infuriating ... but I diligently avoid getting angry or depressed.

Different Drummer: John Osbourne

"Pour Me A Vacation" by The Great Divide

Promo for Inappropriate Conversations (1:22)

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:30:51 -0400

Here is a new promo for www.inappropriateconversations.org

101: The Limited Validity of Authorial Intent

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:53:14 -0400

The notion of "authorial intent" has been used to challenge literary and film criticism for as long as humanity has discussed art. Is the writer's vision the only point of view that matters? What if a critic or a number of readers find valid alternative subtexts? The dividing line may be revealed by separating the role of the author. From an artistic perspective, he or she is another reader with an equally valid view. I know that this marginalizes the influence of the creators on interpretations of their work. On the other hand, the external intent of those same creators must not be ignored or diminished. So, if you make an incendiary hate film in an attempt to start a global war, everything about your motivations and intentions are subject to scrutiny; meaning, you cannot hide behind any freedom of speech as freedom from scrutiny. Different Drummer: Maxim Vengerov

100: Evolution of #IC

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:39:18 -0400

A little more than two and a half years ago, I didn't own a microphone and had never recorded an MP3 file. My experience as a podcaster was limited to the role of listener and, occasionally, a caller on live internet broadcasts. Now, 100 episodes later, I'm telling the story of Inappropriate Conversations through the voice of other shows, friends and fans. The extended length comes from more than 30 minutes of clips from me and others, none of which have appeared before on this show. Different Drummer: Richard Smith

99: Drama Without a Script

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:37:42 -0400

With stereotypes about "jocks v. nerds" it is easy to miss how much athletics have in common with other geeky fandoms. Quoting statistics, knowing the names of actors and characters, even those with the least screen time, and other examples are easy to note. Even from the perspective of the arts, I have once heard games like football described as "drama without a script." I've been to concerts, films, and plays this year, and I intend to see live sports now that both football and soccer are in-season. The fandoms may differ, but there are plenty of similarities. Also, I make a brief statement about why I avoided the college football opener sponsored by Chick-fil-A.

Different Drummer: Tom Osborne

98: Planning the Road to Nowhere

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:41:15 -0400

Most of the vacation trips I've ever taken were driven by a lot of planning. Reservations and ticket purchases in advance essentially set the schedule. I've always been drawn to the idea of simply "hitting the road" or "going nowhere" for a dream vacation. My wife and I have come close once, and the only trip I've enjoyed more came this year, alone together in Hawaii. Different Drummer: Wim Wenders

97: Any One Being Ashamed

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 09:28:29 -0400

Jesus once asked this question: "What can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" He was telling a crowd, not just 12 disciples, about what it meant to follow him. His answer had nothing to do with a "chosen people" or a "Christian nation." Jesus was speaking to a large group of individuals, and he asked each if he or she was willing to pick up their own cross and follow him. By "anyone" he meant "any one." This does not bode well for believers who think that electing the right leader or reviving some ancient laws will ensure salvation. In fact, hiding within such group-think is probably a sign that you are ashamed to follow Jesus his way. Different Drummer: Toby McKeehan DC Talk - "Jesus Freak"

96: Fighting To End Fighting

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:50:30 -0400

When warfare turns ugly, as it so often does, how do we assign blame? I often (with an almost adolescent sense of justice) ask "who started it?" or look to moments when compromise or surrender should have occurred. It is from this perspective that I hold the Japanese military leadership during World War II responsible for the existence of nuclear warfare, even though they didn't develop the weapons that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki and they certainly didn't drop the bombs on their own country. Different Drummer: Terry Gross Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Logical Insanity Extra "Logical Insanity" available for $1.99

95: Calling Your Shot

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:27:00 -0400

The terms "orgasm" and "ejaculation" are not synonyms. They mean something distinct, and the differences are important. The fact that many men believe they are one and the same reveals something, perhaps unsurprising, about masculinity and foreplay. It probably reveals something about auto-eroticism as well. Different Drummer: John Coltrane Sex Nerd Sandra #41: Orgasms For Everybody

94: The Missionary 'Position' is Local

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 12:16:26 -0400

Giving to charitable organizations is a good idea. It makes a difference. It helps. We must not confuse these types of contributions with missionary work, though. Being "in mission" is about intervening, and getting involved is not merely a financial offering. Different Drummer: Shane Claiborne Shane Claiborne and The Simple Way

93: Poetry Providing Perspective

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:05:19 -0400

Poetry takes something we know, or almost know, and makes it strange and wonderful, often transforming words heard before into a language we are hearing for the first time. Such moments of insight can provide a new perspective for anything: politics, religion, relationships, sexuality, anything. References include: "Old Man Bickford" from William S. Burroughs, and "Words Per Minute" and "Stop The Bleeding" from me. Different Drummer: Joyce Peseroff Poet Reads "The Hardness Scale"

92: Open Door policy with the Boss

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 10:39:32 -0400

The door is only as open as the mind inside the office. For the success of both supervisor and employee, collaboration is crucial. I have been most successful when I understood how my supervisor's performance was being assessed. Likewise, I have been least successful when that type of information was withheld, making it impossible for me to make even small decisions to enable that success. Different Drummer: Toshiro Mifune

91: Putting Up or Shutting Up

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:11:26 -0400

Consider this an echo of sorts for the current episode of Dan Carlin's Common Sense podcast. Frustrated with the feeling that complaining is all we seem to be capable of contributing to the political process, as it is now, Carlin has made a call to action. I share his frustration. So-called evangelical Christian pastors calling for the internment or extermination of all non-heterosexuals? Proudly "radical" atheists suggesting that all faithful Christians are, in fact, mentally ill and may need to be institutionalized? Clearly, our society is on the verge of breaking down completely, and our methods of communicating with each other must change before it's too late. Different Drummer: Statler & Waldorf Dan Carlin's blog: "A Concentration Of Forces"

90: Moments of Epiphany

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:30:18 -0400

As a storyteller, I did something I prefer to avoid in Inappropriate Conversations #79 by not finishing a story. That was partly about running short of time. Mainly, though, it was because the story took an abrupt turn as I realized something that stopped me in my tracks. I've heard this called "epiphany" in literary criticism, where the short stories of James Joyce provide excellent examples. It also happens in real life. I'm often amazed at how even a small and simple piece of information can change not only perspectives but the very direction of our life-stories. Different Drummer: Paul McCrane

89: Communicating with Kids in an Adult Way

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:28:08 -0400

Everything a child learns comes from information that is beyond their understanding. It's true for their first words, even from what we call "baby talk." It's certainly true for concepts related to diplomacy, economics, and music theory. I never talked down to my kids. Maybe that was good, effective parenting, and maybe it presented problems for everyone else in the family. Hard to say. It did raise questions, though, and anything that leads children to ask clarifying questions is probably great for their intellectual development. Different Drummer: Holly Cole

88: The Perspective of Growing Up

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:31:24 -0400

I was not a man when I first encountered "men's magazines" and I obtained beer and alcohol long before the legal drinking age, now or then. Were these mistakes, or just typical parts of growing up? The answers have a lot to do with age and perspective. As a parent, I have worked to provide a different experience for my children. On the other hand, it's possible that a childhood without any "mistakes" is the biggest mistake of all. Different Drummer: The Residents

87: Used Record Stores and a Healthy Aquarium

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:38:53 -0400

A complete system of commerce must include a final destination point for "clearance" that serves both the needs of industry and the bottom-feeder (plecostomus). I do not use that term as an insult because it describes me quite well as a loyal customer of used record stores and bookstores. Some of my most beloved rock bands and musicians were first discovered in the dollar bins or cutout racks. It is good that others' cast-offs have found a happy home. Without such a method of filtering out the unwanted production, any retail system is incomplete or under-developed. Different Drummer: Mark E. Smith

86: The Heart of the Matter

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:31:12 -0400

The concept "heart" describes the deepest, most personally "real" part of ourselves. A great many people have never revealed this Self to anyone, not even a spouse or other family member. At the same time, any hope another person has for truly knowing you depends entirely on getting to "the heart of the matter" within that relationship. This is one of the great truths that Jesus came to share, and it rests at the core of what Christians mean by "having a relationship" with God. Different Drummer: Frederick Buechner

85: What it Means to Worship

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:47:27 -0400

Ritual can be a part of authentic worship, but if that's all there is then it is almost certainly false. My faith has consistently affirmed the conviction that God is "present" within worship, not as a judgmental taskmaster but as a loving, creative force. Genuine worship changes over time, even from week to week. Rather than being regimented, if it is truly God-focused then it will reflect the Lord's mysterious ways. Anything less than a journey into this heart of wonder may be "religious" but it certainly isn't spiritual. Different Drummer: Rick Moyer Take Him With You

84: Birth Control Yourself

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:15:08 -0400

People choosing to take ownership of their reproduction and sexuality is not a problem society needs to solve. From the political rhetoric leading up to the 2012 presidential election in the United States, you might think "birth control" is the only topic Americans are debating. While addressing the issue without the use of profanity, I am speaking frankly and aggressively. Even the scripture I cite includes two killings (fatal smiting is the appropriate description) and sexual misconduct. Also, sound quality was a challenge in places. Different Drummer: Laurie Anderson Reformed Whores performing "I'm A Slut!"

83: Being a Tree on World Storytelling Day

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:57:07 -0400

I have spoken about World Storytelling Day before, years ago. This year will be very different, though. With the theme of "Trees" I'm releasing this podcast virtually unedited. I've added the theme and Different Drummer music, and that's pretty much it. If you'll pardon the slight pun, the recording of this story will have to stand on its own. Different Drummer: Imani Coppola Imani Coppola performing "I'm A Tree"

82: Pandering from a Political Pulpit

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:39:37 -0500

Many people are beginning to believe that Christianity and the electoral process are incompatible because the obvious examples from the religious right fall into fundamentalism and fail to be true to either religion or politics. For guidelines as simple and Biblical as "love your enemies" and "the kingdom of God is not of this earth," you would think that the politicians who most aggressively identify themselves as Christians must have sold their souls for votes. Worse, I wonder how much of the dubious Christianity we hear being preached from the political pulpit will actually drive voters away from both the polls and the church. Different Drummer: Gautama

81: Singing a Song for Lovers

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:32:07 -0500

Happy Valentines Day! A couple of friends help me share an epic and ancient love poem. Different Drummer: Sophie B. Hawkins Starbase 66 podcast The Greatest Events In Sporting History

80: Revelation Weekend

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:45:16 -0500

"It's far better to say something that should not be said, than not to say something that should be said." Twenty-five years ago on February 7th at 1:37 a.m., I heard this answer to a desperate prayer. After glancing around the room to see who else had heard this, I challenged the response I'd received in a truly conversational exchange. Again, I got a direct, accurate, and life-changing answer. It was as if I drew a line in the proverbial sand, and God crossed it. I believe in answered prayer because I have experienced it. Different Drummer: Michael Franks

79: A Farewell Address from the Mountaintop

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:48:47 -0500

Maybe the reason I believe the Holy Spirit has guided me, perhaps even forcefully, is that I don't have a better explanation for specific experiences that defy any other reasoning. Or maybe it's simply because it is true. Either way, for more than three decades now I have earned the title: most likely to be found on a mountaintop in Guadalajara writing the world's most profound three-word sentence. So to speak. Different Drummer: Aaron Altman Bullying in Rhode Island

78: Why 'Radical' and Not Just 'Moderate'

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:45:10 -0500

There is no great credit to remaining "above" the myopia of liberal v. conservative politics, if you aren't willing to stand. Too often, a so-called moderate position is simply a way of avoiding issues and not engaging. The "radical" side is pushing for change, whether it be a moderating influence on those firmly entrenched in right- or left-wing politics, or trying to lead the rest to think more critically about what each side has to say. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us one of the best challenges to status-quo centrism in his 1963 letter from jail in Birmingham, Alabama. Failing to heed these words will continue to bear strange and unwanted fruit in our society. Different Drummer: Billie Holiday

77: Sportsmanship is How to Play the Game

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:02:26 -0500

Sports commentary tends to be full of cliche. "If you're not cheating, you're not trying" is one. Another you hear often from youth coaches: "It's not about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." Well, the positive values so often touted about sports rely on the assumption of fair play, but sporting play is too often the exception. This is true of players and fans, but evidence strongly suggests that it is equally a problem for coaches, administrators, and the media as well. Different Drummer: Barry Sanders Greatest Events In Sporting History and Barry Sanders (Legends Series)

76: Rudolph, the Audio Commentary

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:29:48 -0500

As it sounds, here is an audio commentary for the classic 1964 animated Christmas special, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer." The show is essential holiday viewing, along with a handful of other Rankin/Bass classics. Different Drummer: Jim Skafish Skafish 2006 NPR Interview

75: Reason, but no Rhyme, to Poetry

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:10:39 -0500

Poems don't have to rhyme all the time. Formalism, whether a metrical scheme or just assonance and alliteration, can inspire creativity through adherence to the form itself. On the other hand, the most profound poetry I've ever heard or read came from more freedom to the verse. Different Drummer: Jim Carroll

74: Adoption as Heroism

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:20:12 -0500

While recording on National Adoption Day this year, I referred back to a question I've raised in the past: whether a woman who carries an unwanted pregnancy to term and gives the child for adoption is performing a saintly act? "Heroic" is, perhaps, a better term. Different Drummer: Thomas of Aquino National Adoption Day

73: Plenty To Protest

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:23:33 -0500

"It is time to put the protest back into Protestantism" (Diana Butler Bass). I don't have an advocacy position on the "Occupy" movements, but I believe there are plenty of things happening in our society and economy that are worth protesting. It's wrong to describe those who are loudly calling for reform "un-" ... if anything, they are taking typically Christian steps and a genuinely American approach. See the Protestant Reformation or the American Revolution for parallels. Different Drummer: James Stewart 4 Reasons video A Great Awakening

72: Truth or Consequences for Christians

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:08:31 -0400

Most pro-life apologists have an issue with Judith Jarvis Thomson's position in "A Defense Of Abortion." Of course! They have come to opposite conclusions about one of the most divisive issues of our time. My quarrel with a number of those apologists has nothing to do with abortion rights or the lives of unborn children. No, my problem is with dishonesty, made worse since it comes from people who purport to stand up for "truth." Different Drummer: Os Guinness

71: Breast Deduction

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:37:47 -0400

I can recall times in my life when I would have said that breast reduction surgery is always a bad thing. I wish I could say that I was "just a teenager" back then, which would make the thought both prurient and obvious. No, that point of view survived more than 10 years after high school. In fact, it only matured in very recent years. Different Drummer: Elisabeth Shue

70: Minding Your P's and Q's, Part 2

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:52:18 -0400

Time to respond to feedback, formally, for the second time. The P's and Q's are your points and questions: excellent ideas for me to consider ... hopefully with adequate answers. Thanks! Different Drummer: Teri Garr Do Ask Do Tell - "Religion"

69: Reasons Not to Trust Our ‘Pure’ View of Puritans

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:03:12 -0400

Most emphasis on "the good old days" is about comparing the current state of society to a time when moral values were stronger and centered on the traditional family structure. The problem is that those longing looks to the past are full of self-deception. Even The Puritans, who are often held up as an extreme example, were not what society has said they were. Premarital pregnancy, open discussions in church meetings about sexual behavior, and even second-trimester abortion were not at all out of place then. I'll bet you didn't learn that in American History class. Different Drummer: Thomas Paine

68: After The Attacks on 9/11/2001

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:00:54 -0400

I shared my perspective about "9/11" on September 12, 2004, before a church congregation. I wanted to make note of three particular ideas because I could already see them fading from popular thought. Immediately following the terrorist attacks in 2001, it was easy to infer a consensus around these notions: evil exists, people are intrinsically valuable, and truth is not relative. Now, 7 years after that speech and 10 years after the attacks, it's clear that I was right to worry. We don't remember what we believed about those ideas in September 2001, and we can't satisfactorily explain why. Different Drummer: Indigo Girls

67: Making the World Safe for Kids?

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:45:46 -0400

Our goal as parents cannot be making the world safe for kids. That is irresponsible because it cannot be accomplished and won't serve them well as adults. Instead, the goal must be to keep our kids safe from the world until they have been prepared to face its challenges on their own. For many of my conservative friends, this sounds like a dangerous and radical concept. It's also true. Different Drummer: Jim Henson

66: Child’s Play and Imagination

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:28:18 -0400

One major generational shift from when I was growing up until now: the role of imagination in childhood. When I was young, toys didn't often come with a story. You made up the story using toys or even household objects. Now, effort is required to provide similar opportunities for our young, future storytellers. Has an entire generation of "imaginary friends" been left, abandoned and alone? Different Drummer: Jerrold Freedman Springfield (left) and Frank (right)

65: Difficult Listening Music

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:11:36 -0400

While I'm playing music on my MP3 player, it is almost always set to shuffle. I believe in variety and unexpected combinations, and radio stations have not provided that at any time in my memory. When you hear "your station for variety" or other taglines, it never refers to a combination of rock, country, jazz, classical, spoken word, and other genre. Why not? A format with that challenging combination might never lead the market, but a program like that might prove to be the second choice for a very large set of listeners. Different Drummer: Francis Picabia

64: The Erosion of the TV Landscape

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:19:12 -0400

Easily the best argument against television is that it's not very good. I believe that I would only watch a couple of programs a week if it weren't for sports and the power of recording. DVR makes it possible to screen what I see. A better tool would let me replace the current TV offerings with the older programs they are referencing. Surely, all these imitators of "I Love Lucy" have some explaining to do! Different Drummer: Jay Bulworth

63: Disposability (We've Become a Bunch of Tossers)

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:24:23 -0400

The way we use products as customers is a significant, and less acknowledged, pressure on the environment. Even merchandise that we expect to last for years has become much more disposable. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to backtrack from society's investment in lower prices, with lower quality. We need to be wary, though, of what else we're tossing out when we dispose of old and worn things. Different Drummer: Jerry Mander

62: Protecting society with, and from, capital punishment

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:38:38 -0400

At some point, the idea of capital punishment stopped being about protecting society through the dispensation of justice, and it started being about settling the score for crimes that offend a lot of people. The word "heinous" could almost be defined as "justification for revenge." If you take vengeance away from the death penalty, we would certainly seek such a sentence far less often. Different Drummer: Neil Peart

61: Impermanence of Time

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:02:01 -0400

The best argument against the existence of God that I have ever heard makes a mistake you see more often in "young earth" creationism. It's the belief that time has a permanence, an importance, even a "reality" that we frankly should not trust. Ironically, tracing the philosophy of religion through an argument that has led me to question this faith in time ... well, it requires a greater number of minutes than usual. Different Drummer: Norman Kretzmann

60: Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion - part 2

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:58:37 -0400

6) America could not provide adoptive homes for more than a million children per year over limitless successive years. 7) After agreeing to pay a clinic several hundred dollars, a woman does not need an extra day of waiting to decide if she is doing the right thing. 8 ) Most Americans do not know the names and telephone numbers of more than 30,000 women, and certainly none can name that many new acquaintances for each calendar year. 9) If doctors never study or practice the abortion procedure, then an emergency abortion to save the life or health of a pregnant woman is less likely to be safe and free from complications. 10) If a person threatens the life or welfare of a man's wife, most of us would understand the man's decision to kill this assailant -- even if we wouldn't take that same action ourselves for moral reasons. Different Drummer: Aristotle

59: Ten Areas of Agreement about Abortion - part 1

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:23:37 -0400

1) Abortion is not murder. 2) Abortion is a bad thing. 3) Human beings are a species in no danger of extinction. 4) You can stop abortion only by eliminating the demand, not the supply. 5) The immorality of abortion will not be reduced by making the practice stringently illegal. Different Drummer: Tony Kaye

58: Bad Graduation Advice

Mon, 30 May 2011 00:36:09 -0400

There is an old adage that says you'll be happy and successful if you "do what you love" for a living. Don't believe what you hear. That saying is only almost right. "Love what you do for a living" is better advice, and the difference is not mere subtlety. We should hold the things we truly love as intimate and not fully invest them in the pursuit of trade or commerce. On the other hand, the things we do professionally must have some underlying passion if we are going to be successful. Different Drummer: Ira A. Robbins

57: Originating Moments in Relationships

Sun, 22 May 2011 23:43:56 -0400

Even the deepest, most meaningful relationships can suffer if we forget how they started. This is true in the Bible, where the Hebrew people seemed forget about everything in the book of Exodus before they even stepped into the land of Canaan. It's also true in our human relationships, where sacred ground needs to be respected and protected. I remember what I was doing 30 years ago this week ... and I pray that I never forget. Different Drummer: Tracy Pollan

56: Perversion as Diversion

Sun, 15 May 2011 16:50:24 -0400

The word "perversion" carries a more negative connotation than the word "diversion" despite the similarities in the concepts. In both cases, something is turning away from an original or predicted course. I would recommend caution rather than condemnation, though, when we either cannot explain the cause of the deviation or there is very little we can do about it in hindsight. Different Drummer: David Allan Coe

55: A Better Way to Debate

Sun, 08 May 2011 19:53:41 -0400

Most debate you hear today is about winning/losing and not about resolving questions and finding answers that will move society forward. All of us lose when arguments are presented in this manner. Instead, we need to listen better, speak more clearly and often at greater length, and live up to higher standards. Guidelines include: granting opponents as much ground as possible, holding ourselves and others to the integrity of stated positions, and striving to find "the rest of the argument." Different Drummer: Dwight MacDonald Dan Carlin's Common Sense 194: State Of The Union (particularly 33:00 - 55:35)

54: Holding up a John 3:17 sign

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:03:12 -0400

"Gospel" means "good news." Easter is all about hope and new life. Why, then, would any church devote this particular Sunday to a message about hopelessness and despair? The worst Easter Sunday sermon I've ever heard did precisely that. I think the reason has a lot to do with many Christians having no clue that Jesus came to save the world rather than condemn it. If you have read John 3:16 (and didn't stop there), you should know this. It is written. Different Drummer: Johnny Cash

53: Secular Visions of Divinity

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 21:39:58 -0400

When the Psalmist speaks of the Lord's name being declared throughout creation, that includes popular culture and secular music. I reject the idea that some sort of "culture war" makes any sense. As a Christian, I believe that all of creation declares God's glory -- all of it. If we listen, we will hear. Different Drummer: Ed Ames

52: First Person Comedy

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:40:01 -0400

Did you hear the one about "V8® Nate"? No doubt, it's offensive. Have a happy April Fool's Day! Different Drummer: John S. Hall

51: Drumming Up Racial Unrest

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:44:57 -0400

A common stereotype is that athletes and coaches are reactionary "dumb jocks" who only stir up trouble in a school environment. I have personally experienced the exact opposite, which is not to say that either stereotype is true. I openly wonder how racism functions within those assumptions and what it says about us if we don't even notice. Different Drummer: Jim Valvano

50: The Most Significant Art Form

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:06:36 -0400

Over the past hundred years, film is by far the most significant form of art. As a new medium, this probably goes without saying. It is also true when considering artistic achievement within the realm of commerce or entertainment. Movies re-established a balance that hasn't been true in music since what we call "classical" today was actually "pop" for its time. Like music, films of all kinds have created a language of cinema that we rely upon more than we really know. Different Drummer: Stanley Kauffmann

49: R.S.V.P.

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:55:01 -0500

When I first heard The Electrics' song "Party Goin' On Upstairs" on a bargain bin CD, the expression "RSVP" kept running through my head. Some Christians, and some non-Christians, imply that Jesus places a large blockade in front of heaven's gate. For them, the concept of a narrow way means that the path is hidden and the savior's calling is cryptic. Actually, Jesus is quite clear about the obvious response he expects to his invitation. Different Drummer: The Electrics

48: Four Things I Know

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:53:03 -0500

In order to understand everything we experience as humans, I believe there are four distinct types of knowledge. Two are obvious, and perhaps the other two are controversial. The fact is that one of the most common questions of all -- "do I exist?" -- is among the most difficult to prove. This is particularly true if you only give yourself half a chance. Different Drummer: Joan Girardi

47: Hypocrisy and Intensity

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:50:06 -0500

I try not to be hypocritical about hypocrisy. My feelings are too intense, though, to let some stuff go. The more responsibility you have, whether an elected government official or a lead cashier in a retail store, the more important it is to manage intensity properly while avoiding short-sighted double standards. For Christians, it has a lot to do with focusing on relationships and understanding what Jesus means by "neighbor." Different Drummer: John Wesley

46: You Are What You Eat

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:43:05 -0500

Monogamy is not just a good idea in the sense we often hear about democracy or capitalism, with it being the "best system among many flawed choices." From a purely sexual perspective, a deeply committed relationship is the best way to explore all that human sexuality has to offer. The opposite approach is to merely skim the surface, and changing the topography might seem like a reasonable way to overcome familiarity. It's much better, though, to truly dive in. Different Drummer: Don Ellis

45: Macho Weaknesses

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:42:41 -0500

Almost everything wrong with masculinity today can be described by the fear of being "found out." Sexual aggression is often a front for homophobia. Bullying is often an attempt to use a seeming boldness and bluntness to cover for the fear of weakness. This blunt-force macho nonsense does not reveal men at their best; it reveals our very worst. Different Drummer: John Eldredge

44: Sacred Friendship

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:25:47 -0500

Friendship is not limited or dictated by gender. Factors far more important than sexual organs should determine whether two people consider themselves to be in a platonic partnership. Decades of experiences have shown me that keeping inter-sexual friendships sacred provides a much deeper connection than any of the "with benefits" or "more than a friend" concepts that we frankly ought to reject. Different Drummer: Carl G. Jung

43: The Content of Their Character

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 17:42:21 -0500

Perhaps we have too much of a black-and-white perspective on what Martin Luther King, Jr. was saying when he urged us to elevate "content of character" above "color of skin" in his 1963 speech. No doubt, he was talking about racial injustice, but our insensitivity is much broader than that. It isn't any better to judge people based on other select things we disagree with or disapprove of -- like sexual behavior or political affiliation. We must look deeper than that to find the content of someone's character. Different Drummer: Sidney Poitier

42: The Morning After for classic made-for-TV movies

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:55:27 -0500

Films made for television between 1967-1976: Run a Crooked Mile, The Longest Hundred Miles, Shadow Over Elveron, Probe (Search), The Stranger, City Beneath the Sea, Vanished, Hunter, Duel, Brian's Song, A Cold Night's Death (Chill Factor), Trilogy of Terror, A Short Walk to Daylight, Go Ask Alice, The Man Without a Country, Death Race, Trapped, The Morning After. Different Drummer: Dan Carlin Common Sense & Hardcore History

41: Gone but not forgotten (and yet left behind)

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:28:10 -0500

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? No, and the same applies to family. For me, the cryptic lyrics to a song so often sung on New Year's Eve has extra meaning because the day itself recalls loved ones who have gone too soon and left us behind. Sorry, but it is a struggle for me to look at this time of year without wrestling with regrets. Different Drummer: Tony Pucci Tony Pucci & Songs For Jenny

40: Other High Crimes

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 09:25:35 -0500

The impeachment of Bill Clinton near the end of his presidency was one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of the United States government. The president virtually declared that he couldn't define the word "is." More than 200 representatives in Congress demonstrated a weak grasp of the word "other." Millions of dollars were wasted on an assumption that a majority of American voters didn't know what they were doing when Clinton was elected, not once but twice! Embarrassing, indeed. Different Drummer: Alexis de Tocqueville

39: Privacy and Intimate Relationships

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 07:51:20 -0500

It's ironic, but some of the same people who believe in confession and accountability reject any notion of a right to privacy. Without some sense of privacy, though, you cannot have true intimacy. And without intimacy, all relationships suffer - among family members, between friends, and with God. Different Drummer: Drew Pinsky

38: Thanksgiving Paper Football Classics

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:39:15 -0500

Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas often generate family traditions. At its best, the nostalgia of childhood forms a bond of memories that lasts a lifetime. For me, a sheet of paper folded like a triangle has spun across four decades now, resting on nothing less than the edge of brotherhood. Different Drummer: Keith Jackson Yes, the tabletop looks like a basketball court rather than a football field.

37: Always being happy, Or 'Gay'

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:37:34 -0500

Plenty of evidence suggests that those who argue the loudest about homosexuality are not able to explain what it is. Perhaps it is human nature to lash out in fear against things we don't understand, but that is certainly not a proper Christian response. Bullying and marginalizing people is not what Jesus would do. Knowing how that fact conflicts with the actions of many Christians does not make me happy. Different Drummer: Ethan and Joel Coen

36: Misconceptions Regarding Abortion

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:08:24 -0500

It's interesting to see how pro-choice friends react when I define abortion as the killing of an unborn child. It is also interesting to observe the reaction of pro-life friends when I suggest that such a killing isn't necessarily or always "unjust." Obviously, we have to clear up a few things before we can even define the word abortion, much less deal with the issue. Different Drummer: Judith Jarvis Thomson

35: The Electoral College

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:36:53 -0500

Arguments against the Electoral College assign too much importance to the "popular vote" and too little importance to the "state" part of the United States of America. In a landslide led by the most populous parts of the country, as few as a dozen states could sway an election within the Electoral College. How few states would it be in a system based solely on popular vote? Before you answer, remember how important it is to avoid any voter being disenfranchised. Different Drummer: George C. Scott

34: The Music of Dead Musicians

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:41:00 -0400

Halloween has always been about kids dressing in costumes and collecting candy, right? As I got older, the holiday was more about listening to the music of departed musicians and sharing stories with a close group of friends. Is something inherently evil about October 31st? Or does the conservative backlash against Halloween actually do the devil's bidding by publicizing Satanism more than any Harry Potter lookalike asking for candy ever could? Different Drummer: Edgar Allan Poe

33: Minding your P's and Q's

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 01:26:26 -0400

Time to respond to feedback for the first time, and certainly not the last. The P's and Q's are your points and questions: excellent ideas for me to consider ... hopefully with adequate answers. Thanks! Different Drummer: Hank Hanegraaff

32: Recollection (My memory serves me far too well)

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:29:33 -0400

Memory separates me from many of my friends and peers. It's not just that I have strong recollections of past events. I also remember at great detail some events that others do not recall at all, except perhaps with a vague sense of satisfaction or regret. Well, if I've told you that I would remember you, I meant it. Always. Different Drummer: Alain Resnais

31: Teaching teens with T&A

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 21:14:38 -0400

Banned Books Week is an annual event that draws much needed attention on the freedom to read or even really the freedom to think. We all should stand up when schools are pressured to prevent students from reading To Kill a Mockingbird, particularly in cases where "concerned parents" believe they are opposing racism and injustice by banning a book that would accomplish more by being read. Are we trying to control what children learn instead of urging them and inspiring them to think? Not only would I keep challenging and provocative material in the curriculum, I might be willing to go even further. Different Drummer: Karen Elizabeth Gordon

30: Establishment of religion

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:28:57 -0400

Continuing from last week, prayer may be the best example of establishing religion. From a Christian perspective, if your prayers "in no way establish a religion" then you are not praying. So, does a "pledge of allegiance" to God establish religion? Never mind, Jesus explicitly warns against such public declarations in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. Different Drummer: Matthew

29: My prayer for a football game

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:11:43 -0400

With a strong Biblical foundation, I have a theory that most prayers at public events like high school football games or graduation ceremonies have more to do with the speaker than God. If you only bow your head to follow a spoken prayer led by someone on a public address system, are you really genuinely praying? I believe prayer is much more than that. Different Drummer: Andy Partridge

28: Capitalism in the realm of ideas

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:26:18 -0400

If we are serious about free market capitalism, then we shouldn't be name-calling or establishing barriers to the free exchange of opinions and beliefs. This notion is consistent with America's founding fathers. It is consistent with the writings of the apostles who spread the word of Jesus without any help from a ruling majority in government. Are we "restoring America" to those perspectives? If you are watching rallies on TV and reading the news, you don't really know what "restoring honor" precisely involves. I wonder why. Different Drummer: Thomas Jefferson

27: Possible World Theory

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:53:40 -0400

Where were you on September 11, 2001, when planes hit the towers in New York City? I was facing questions about whether God is in control of all things, and how to reconcile that with acts that scream to be called "un-Godly." My answer involves as much metaphysics as theology. In each case, possible world theory has much to do with how I understand both Providence and prayer. Different Drummer: Richard Linklater

26: Labor Day, work stories

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:17:00 -0400

"Most Likely To" was both an employer reference, recommending someone I'd once supervised for admission to a university, and a short story with wild anecdotes from college days. Completely inappropriate, but hopefully a bit of fun. Happy Labor Day! Different Drummer: Larry Winget

25: Questions we ought to ask ourselves

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:27:35 -0400

Questions can be valuable even when we don't answer them fully or at all. In a change of pace, here are a few questions that I've mulled over in the past. Some people may find this uncomfortable. I believe facing these types of considerations will lead us to think, or at least to ponder. Stay tuned through the end for the title track of Craig Bevan's CD, "I Think We've Made It." Different Drummer: Terry Gilliam

24: Elections are not horse races

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:40:34 -0400

Representative democracy has almost become a joke in the United States of America. The two-party system gives voters a false, and limited, sense of choice where the parties themselves join forces to keep other options out. Worse, it often seems like no one votes their conscience anymore. We complain about the "lesser of two evils" while so easily settling for just that. We will never get anything better until we stop trying to "pick the winner" and start demanding something better than a "race." Different Drummer: Ralph Nader

23: Laws of Motion

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:47:55 -0400

We miss huge opportunities to make meaningful connections with people and ideas when we separate science from daily living. Even culturally, we often fail to recognize the implications and possibilities that certain scientific theories present to us. With the laws of motion, for example, something more profound than physics is described in Isaac Newton's work. Different Drummer: Salvador Dali

22: Art and the strange bedfellows

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:49:48 -0400

The realm of "the arts" is most likely to present a healthy confrontation of sex, religion, politics and culture. At times in our history, this has been a safe haven for new ideas. At other times, it has been the last stronghold against totalitarian conformity. Few artists have demonstrated this better than this week's different drummer. He is a filmmaker who mercilessly skewered self-righteous religiosity and stood up against fascism as boldly as any soldier. Different Drummer: Luis Bunuel

21: Permanent Things that I believe

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:03:12 -0400

Anyone can believe as I do. Prophets told us that the words of faith are written in our hearts. If I summarize down to a list, it starts to look like cliche. Well, I do not approach this topic as an attempt at evangelism. I cannot "give you my faith." That is, in fact, one of my beliefs: any faith you find will come from your own heart. On the other hand, I can tell you about Permanent Things I've found in my heart. Different Drummer: Larry Crabb

20: Reading ‘Chapter And Verse’ on what I don't believe

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:23:26 -0400

A poetry reading sets the tone for the first of a two-part focus on religious beliefs. Negative part first: what I don't believe. In some ways, the state of Christianity in America today is so shameful that you almost have to share your faith by distancing yourself from aberrant views that many people expect to hear from what I call "Politically Active Christianity" or PAC. Different Drummer: C.S. Lewis

19: Why football is still just soccer to Americans

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:26:40 -0400

Americans have a somewhat adolescent obsession with fairness. As an example: most of our sports, including our "football" game, include specific penalties for simulating injury. USA results at this year's World Cup have attracted the largest American audience ever, but FIFA's inability or unwillingness to address simulation of injury will stop the largest sports market in the world from getting fully invested in the planet's most popular game. Different Drummer: Mike Emrick

18: Qualifications to be president

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:15:25 -0400

Every four years when all the election talk about "character" starts running wild, I get a reminder that in some ways I'm the ideal candidate for president. If you are only ticking off items on a checklist, what do we value most in a president? I have my own reasons for thinking that I am not the best person for the office. Top of that list: I believe in telling people the truth. Different Drummer: Todd Snider

17: Majority rule and minority experience

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:27:41 -0400

America functions with a careful balance on a couple of ideas. One is majority rule. The other is checks/balances on power. Controls are in place specifically to prevent oppression of minority groups. Always get suspicious when you hear someone complain about "the will of the majority" being thwarted. Does such a majority know what it's like to be on the other side? I don't believe we've advanced as far in race relations as some Americans might suggest. Different Drummer: Carlton Douglas Ridenhour

16: Whether we take fathers for granted, or loss?

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:37:29 -0400

My father has been gone for close to two decades now. I miss him more than I ever have. I'm still not yet older than he was when he died, and I sense that his life experience could inform me greatly today. Some sociologists believe that the absence of dads is a big factor in the problems we are facing. There may be many things that our children, collectively, are not hearing from fathers. Not just hard words, either; the list surely includes laughter. Different Drummer: Jacques Clouseau

15: Declaring war on ‘Just Say No’

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:39:26 -0400

When it comes to drugs and drug policies, we'd better say much more than just "no." In many ways, the "just say no" campaign invested its power in the simplicity of ignorance. After all, if you merely abstain then you never have to understand what you are abstaining from. Or do you? Education is crucial because knowledge is the only way to avoid being duped ... or doped. Different Drummer: Steven D. Levitt

14: Sex education the Protestant way; then, not now

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:55:43 -0400

Knowledge is power, and it is very difficult to resist temptations that come out of nowhere. Being prepared and understanding consequences are crucial ways of making good choices when other options are very tempting. When I was growing up, 10 years old, education was the approach my parents and my church used for sexuality. And it wasn't "abstinence only" either. I openly wonder whether my Protestant denomination would handle sex education the same way today, or at all. Different Drummer: Alex Comfort

13: Companionship marriage

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:12:53 -0400

Equality in marriage is a fairly new idea, and I wonder if our society takes for granted something that we've only begun to experience. In the past, a wife was legally regarded as a possession. At times, marriage has been viewed as a political tool or even an economic exchange, referring to the dowry concept. The notion of Companionship Marriage is unique in granting marriage a value all its own, where the partnership is truly between spouses rather than governments or families. In a seemingly unrelated matter, have a blessed Memorial Day, Americans! Different Drummer: Paul of Tarsus

12: Have we evolved beyond religion or is Christianity itself that mutation?

Fri, 21 May 2010 23:16:08 -0400

Pentecost may be the most important celebration in the Christian calendar for me. It is also horribly under-regarded. Christianity recognizes Trinity: God interacting with creation in three primary and personal ways. One of those is through creation itself. Christ is another. What about the third? When Christians talk about "God changing hearts and lives" they are referring to the Holy Spirit. I've heard some people resist the notion that such a manifestation of deity could be called a person, but this is precisely how a relationship with God actually becomes personal. Different Drummer: The Holy Spirit

11: Delicate topics and how to have an inappropriate conversation

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:39:05 -0400

Here's an Inappropriate Conversation about how to have an inappropriate conversation. Things only grow when you shine your light on them. Fair-skinned as my family is, though, how do I let the sun shine in without getting burned? Even more important, I need to make sure the storyteller doesn't get in the way of the stories I need to tell. Different Drummer: Allison Downing http://www.simplysyndicated.com/

10: Happy Mother's Day and ‘A Handful of Hair’

Sat, 08 May 2010 12:41:45 -0400

Few relationships are as complex as mother and child. Even from the first few days of life, a connection is evident that lasts a lifetime in the best circumstances. Family and friends have shared their grief in recent years at the death of mothers. It speaks volumes about what is missing when we feel so left behind. Different Drummer: Corrie ten Boom

9: Overview of the decades

Mon, 03 May 2010 19:23:50 -0400

I don't put my faith in time, so in one sense there is no such thing as a decade. I also don't believe that trends start and stop exactly on a ten-year cycle. Most importantly, I don't believe we should make decisions based on "good old days" that never really existed. So, what do I believe in? Cause and effect, for one, and that understanding is completely consistent with my faith in God. Different Drummer: Dede Allen

8: Christian response to the Sexual Revolution … or Not

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:44:46 -0400

Here is an old saying I agree with: It is wrong to make “best” the enemy of “better.” I’m on board with the argument that there never was a real Christian response to the Sexual Revolution in 1960s and 1970s America. The reason is certainly a reckless refusal to compromise, even to the extent of shutting down discussion. Different Drummer: David R. Mace

7: Boiling Point fable about politics and science

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:02:58 -0400

The story "Boiling Point" is a fable that functions like a parable about the true political spectrum. As opposed to locking into a partisan side of any issue by embracing "past truths," the story recommends a more open-minded and challenging approach. Truth must always be sought, no matter where the pursuit leads. Different Drummer: Jon Stewart

6: Radical Moderates and the political spectrum

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:38:17 -0400

America wastes an amazing amount of time arguing about "liberal" versus "conservative" as if those represent a meaningful range. Far from being the entire political spectrum, it's not even a slice of a pie-chart that must be understood if we intend to advance as a society. Different Drummer: Jello Biafra

5: The Least Of These and why Danzig's "Godless" rocks

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 22:46:39 -0400

What does it mean to give up something for Lent? It's a Christian concept about preparing for Easter. That idea is consistent with adding the right type of thing as well, as an act of devotion. One of those Lenten undertakings from my past includes a part of a short story that could be titled "The Least Of These." The sermon within that story addresses themes in the heavy metal song "Godless" and indirectly asks a question: why not give up hate for Lent? Different Drummer: Stephanie Davis

4: Rising from the dead - 3 films about Jesus worth seeing

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:13:16 -0400

Are there biopics about Jesus worth seeing? Yes, just not many. Most films based on the gospels fail to live up to their source material. The worst have come from Hollywood -- no surprise there! One of the best was made by a Marxist homosexual whom the Vatican has denounced multiple times. Strange bedfellows, indeed. Odds are, you have never heard of my favorite. This dead genre experienced a resurrection in 2000. Different Drummer: Jesus of Nazareth

3: Light and Shadow

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:59:07 -0400

March 20th is World Storytelling Day with the theme of Light and Shadow. Do we bring antagonists out of the shadow and into the light? Or, as a song by The Offspring discussed in its lyrics, do we "keep 'em separated"? Gangs don’t find peace by drawing boundaries; instead, those lines set the time and place for violence. Less overtly, when large parts of our society engage in quiet violence – denial of one another’s “right to exist” – it stops us from becoming the people we are all meant to be. Different Drummer: Gordon Gano

The Author and Different Drummer

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:53:50 -0400

Different Drummer is the idea that unique individuals “march to the beat of a different drummer.” I want to identify those who take it further: actually being "the drummer" and laying down a rhythm for others to follow. I believe a great deal of good can be done in the world if you aren't too careful about who gets credit. That's the main reason I'm not seeking any credit. On the other hand, I hope to live within that mantra about "not being too careful" by spreading around some credit generously and recklessly on a weekly basis. After this show, you can anticipate hearing about a new Different Drummer on every show.

Introduction to Inappropriate Conversations

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:32:47 -0500

Many times I heard an old adage when I was growing up. Certain topics were not acceptable at the dinner table. For example, it was always impolite to bring up discussion about politics, religion, or sex. That mindset is not serving us well. We have become so segmented as a society! Ignoring other people's views is far too easy. It must no longer be taboo or “politically incorrect” to open discussions about politics, religion, sexuality, etc.