We have had a great day today. Woke up near JFK Airport and cabbed in to Manhattan. Shaun spoke at two church services this morning and we had the afternoon off. We walked an unbelievable amount, saw MacMecca,, went to the bathroom in Trump Towers, ate at an authentic New York Subway and ended up here for the last of the three services today. Two days, six states, three church services and fifty-seven blocks later, we are still alive, and headed home. Memphis on Tuesday.

We have been to the top of the mountain. And it is good. (But mostly bad with no money.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCg1HO4UbTA]

(HT:JB)

Nashville to Baltimore to Providence to Sturbridge thru Connecticut to New York to bed.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZs40Erpy0I]
We’d hit the bottom,
I thought it was my fault
And in a way I guess it was
I’m just now finding out
What it was all about

Moved to the west coast away from everyone
She never told me that you called
Back when I was still, I was still in love

Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it’s bye-bye, goodbye, I tried
And I twisted it wrong just to make it right
Had to leave myself behind
I’ve been flying high all night
So come pick me up…I’ve landed

The daily dramas she made from nothing
So nothing ever made them right
She liked to push me and talk me back down
Until I believed I was the crazy one,
and in a way
I guess I was…

But I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it’s bye-bye, goodbye I tried
Treading a sea of a troubled mind
Had to leave myself behind
Singing bye-bye, goodbye I tried

If you wrote me off I’d understand it
Because I’ve been on some other planet
So come pick me up…
I’ve landed

And you will be so
happy to know
I’ve come alone,
it’s over

But I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it’s by my goodbye I tried
Down comes the reign of the telephone czar
It’s OK to call
Now I’ll answer for myself

Come pick me up,
…I’ve landed.

*After part of yesterday’s post, this song hit me harder today.*

Twice yesterday I heard stories that explained to me why several non-believers view Christians as hypocritical fakes. Two separate stories in the same day uncovering the dirty under-belly of the Christian music industry. None of these situations are from bands that I have worked with, or had any connection to. But it’s an industry I have chosen and it saddens me to see these things happening.

One: A friend of mine called and told me how he had been fired from a well known artist, because he “simply did not fit anymore”. He has worked with them for over three years, dedicated his professional life to ensuring the success of his friends. Only to be treated like he was less than human and yelled at for things beyond his control. His “ministry” became putting up with rock stars, and holding on only for a paycheck. Once success came, he didn’t fit. Today he woke up jobless, and direction less.

Two: My wife sat with a broken wife of a Christian rock star last night and was told how she was afraid for her safety and the safety of her children. His violence has gotten worse, bruises are more frequent, but CD sales are up. The mask of preaching from a stage comes off when he gets home and words that should never be spoken to a wife or child come out.

I don’t even know how to respond to these two situations within my own mind. I hate to see friends of mine in need. Scared because they don’t know what to do next. I hate even more that these situations are caused by people that are getting on a stage every night and telling people how much they need Jesus. To me that is wrong. And sad.

Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEknAauyxL8]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have found a way to trick cancer cells into committing suicide. The novel technique potentially offers an effective method of providing personalized anti-cancer therapy.

Most living cells contain a protein called procaspase-3, which, when activated, changes into the executioner enzyme caspase-3 and initiates programmed cell death, called apoptosis. In cancer cells, however, the signaling pathway to procaspase-3 is broken. As a result, cancer cells escape destruction and grow into tumors.

“We have identified a small, synthetic compound that directly activates procaspase-3 and induces apoptosis,” said Paul J. Hergenrother, a professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and corresponding author of a paper to be posted online this week ahead of regular publication by the journal Nature Chemical Biology. “By bypassing the broken pathway, we can use the cells’ own machinery to destroy themselves.” Read More

(HT:BH)

“iPhone combines three products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers. So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.” -Apple

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMcVwq2HA30]
This is not an official video, but there isn’t one, and this was all I could find. The words are pretty powerful, and the photos aren’t bad either.