MIRACLES?

Okay, Let's start with just this: A question.

What are they?

Okay, a few more questions:

What is the definition? Well, according to the dictionary,

mir·a·cle

   /ˈmɪrəkəl/ Show Spelled[mir-uh-kuhl] Show IPA

–noun

1.

an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2.

such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God. (This would be the most commonly thought of example.)

3.

a wonder; marvel.

4.

a wonderful or surpassing example of some quality: a miracle of modern acoustics.

 

 

So that's it?

Not so fast!

I have given this a lot of thought over the years and have found there to be one essential thread that crosses over these four definitions in one way or the other.

 

I had this discussion with my friend the other day, not mentioning the word, just the result in this context:

Talking about being treated by a doctor of sorts who practices a common form of treatment not necessarily recognized in whole by the American Medical Association.

I'll leave it to your imagination as to what the practice is. Suffice it to say that just about everyone tries them at one point in their lives especially if you have back trouble like me.

If you go in thinking that this is nothing but pure quackery and do not have faith that the treatment you receive is going to work , then the chances that it WILL WORK are greatly diminished. I should say, "near zero."

IF, on the other hand, you have faith that it will do some good to try this procedure, the chances are you will see great benefit in your treatment.

So from one that doesn't have faith to another that does the results are miraculous so to speak.

Was it a miracle? Hardly. What transpired here was the ability of the human mind to rid itself of negativity and enable the body to heal itself. I should have pointed out that in this particular treatment there is no medicine as you would receive from a medical doctor.

Not so fast you say? Well let us point out the rigorous testing that is applied to new drugs that come to market. There are blind and double blind studies over months and even years before a drug is proven to be safe. The mind healing the body is evident in that many of the subjects receiving placebo drugs report relief just as if they had taken the real thing. Usually over 10%.

SO is this a fluke or is it the mind, through the power of suggestion that enables the placebo given subjects to realize the same benefits as those taking the real drug?

We can also apply the same logic to laying on of hands or prayer. I argue that "Prayer" is also an effective form of treatment in a variety of medical situations however, the same rules apply here as in the aforementioned cases of  non-traditional treatment and drug trials.

If you have no belief in God or a higher power, the chances that prayer will work for you are pretty slim.

In this area, I have a little bit of first hand knowledge. Suffice it to say that many times, my prayers have been answered, even when it looked pretty dire. There are so many examples of miracles as in The Holy Bible. But if you read carefully the story goes that the subject who was crippled and had not walked in some time, first had to profess his willingness to want to be cured, to have faith that he could be cured. Yes there are examples of people who were Agnostic being cured through prayer but I have to believe that there was some foundation of faith there to begin with.

I could go on and on on the faith aspect of miracles. Even Thomas doubted. HE was without faith, without first seeing and touching Christ's wounds.

That brings us to the 3rd definition.

a wonder; marvel.

Anyone who has witnessed the "miracle" of the birth of a child understands this definition. The leaves setting the horizon ablaze in the fall, the very aspect of life here on Earth, how everything is perfectly interwoven to work together. Man, because of free will and original sin sometimes steps in to screw this up but for the most part, at least in the western hemisphere, we do all we can to preserve what precious gifts God has given.

So we come to #4 which I will take totally out of context because I'm the one writing this nonsense.

Miracle of modern acoustics? Oh, I get it. They are using this definition as in an example such as: Should the Buffalo Bills ever win The Super Bowl, it would be a miracle.

Well my definition, out of context as I stated, is the miracle of music. The very fact that God sends stuff for me to write and produce and play, to mold into a hopefully artistic piece of music is truly a miracle.

The heartbreak that comes first and then the lamenting is all part of the perfect plan. Thank you ladies for breaking my heart. Boohahaha!

Am I serious? Well, yes to a point.

As I have stated countless times, I can't take myself too seriously here. After all, this is a free therapy session. Thanks for being here for me. You know who you are.

That's so Carly Simon of me!

jd

 

 

 

What's Next?

So you're wondering, "what? "
I'm talking music here.
Now that open mike at Shea's is temporarily at a standstill, it's time to forge into something else new. Any ideas? I mean the open mike was fun mostly because it was totally unpredictable and new every night. I was once again reminded of why I gave up doing a single many years ago. When you lose track of where you are in a song because you are taking part in a conversation 3 tables back, you wonder what the hell you're doing.
I loved playing with different folks each week though even in what was more or less a kareokee style OM. That came about through the miracle of smartphone technology where as people could look up the word's and if I had half an idea what the song was we were good to go.
So where to now?
I have a new friend Billy who is well known in these parts for killer harmonica and sax. We have a ball together. He's a masshole so we understand each other's humor. He reminds me of Brother Dave. Miss you Hogan. Perhaps we'll throw something together. Geez, I'd really like to put together a bluesband. To finally play something with that special feel. So, while I sleep on it, if you have any ideas, shoot em this way. Leave a comment or send email to jdguitar@gmail.com
Later.

Jd

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

God Bless Our Veterans!

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served, are serving now and will serve in the future. A special thanks to their families for they serve right along with them and in many cases they are the ones that suffer the most.
I have a very special place in my heart for all of you. I think it's right next to the goose bumps I get when I see the American Flag being raised or the roar of the jets flying overhead during The National Anthem.
I would just like to touch on one aspect of these special people for today and that would be the young men and women and in some cases retired military personnel who have volunteered in the middle of two wars.
There is no greater show of love for your country and fellow countrymen than to lay down your life for them.
There is a young man in my neighborhood who is currently at Paris Island training to be a US Marine. This kid could have done a multitude of other things but yet he chose to serve his country. Thank you Charles you will never regret your decision.
So many others have gone to college and entered the service after 4 and sometimes more years to serve.
Thank you Ryan. (Captain Ryan)
I could go on and on (you know that though don't you) of all the jobs you could choose and you chose to protect my sorry butt?

God Bless You All!

jd

Wisdom. Pay attention here

Okay, you're wondering what the hell does that title mean.
Well, I don't know exactly but it is on my mind.
I would like to think that I have learned or earned a little over the past 55 years.
Here is some of what's been rattling around in my head.
As I stated earlier, "I have become too wise in my older years to be able to fool myself."
What is meant is exactly as it sounds. explain you say.
We look in the mirror day after day and we become accustomed to what we see. We don't see the extra pounds, the wrinkles, the loss of eyesight even though we know we are not what we think we are externally, we none the less go on seeing that 18 year old indestructible self that we once were. Deeper than that is what has happened to our hearts and minds through the years. We have become case hardened to disappointment, heartache, love and loss. So too have we become expectant of happiness and joy and sit in wonderment as to why these things elude us.
I would submit that they are all intricately intertwined. So it is that we find ourselves in this place. A place where only fools can find their way.
I, being such a fool have found myself with my eyes wide open. I realize I have been living with my eyes wide shut. Never thinking of my influence on the world around me, only thinking of the effect it had on me.
I have had a lot of time to think (though I been dragged kicking and screaming into the abyss) over the past 2 months of how I ended up in this place.
Doctors say it's some kind of depression called endogenous (sp excuse me) which means that it is in your DNA.
I, however, refuse to except this as being the truth and isn't it the truth that we all seek?
Whether or not you or I are predisposed to a certain ailment is irrelevant. What we choose to do about it is what matters.
So, being older and wiser, I have set forth on a journey to go where wise men fear to tread so to speak. That is, I have decided to ask myself the tough questions and answer them truthfully.
Not such an easy task. Painful yes.
I realize that I can't make things right in the moment. Things didn't get this way in a day.
I can make amends but I have to do the work and serve my time.
God is the answer but I need to do a little more exploration into exactly what the question is.
Friends are few and far between but just like a fine wine, they need special care and lot's of work.
There is a special friend that has been here along this journey and perhaps I over stepped my bounds here or there. Just know that you are still special and will always be regardless the outcome.
My wife and my daughter are my life and music is my passion. My friends have suddenly reappeared with the blessing of digital media and for that I thank Al Gore for inventing the INTERNET. Ha!
You have to learn to accept people for what they are. If you become angered by their actions, it's your fault not theirs. They can't help the way they act but you can control the affect it has on you by just accepting them or move on.
Don't burn your bridges, just don't travel them as often.
Love your neighbors as in your community but don't expect it in return. Be grateful if you get a wave or an invite.
I can't stress enough of how you need to be understanding of others actions and the affect it has on you. Anger is such a waste of time. Don't let it rent space in your head. If you chose only like minded individuals as friends you're in for a lonely life.
Choose to love your enemies. IT will make loving and forgiving your friends AND yourself for their, your, shortcomings.
Accept the fact that you may be wrong. This is a tough one for me because I am dealing with my knowledge which is admittedly limited in many cases. When you think something to be right and learn through life that it's not, man up or woman up and admit it. It's such a liberating feeling to admit that you were wrong and it opens your mind.
Read, Read, Read! I don't care if it's the Holy Bible or Isac Asimov. Reading keeps new information coming into your brain. When info stops coming in, nothing comes out.
Give everyone a second, third, fourth etc chance. In other words, learn to forgive. Forgiveness is the basis of Gods word. Read "What's So Amazing About Grace" and "The Road Less Traveled". The first being so inspiring and really talks about what Christ meant by "Forgiveness" The second a true tale of a very educated man who went from being agnostic to being a staunch believer using his scientific background as a road map.
Lear to deal with your anger. We all have it. Don't let it get the best of you. Don't ever close the door on it but deal with it in a rational manner. This may mean walking away from a good fight and looking like a loser for a time but take my word. A good fight is best waged on a pillow.
I have been posting a few of these words of wit as I write this only because I can.
To all of you reading this, there is much more but I'm sort of out of steam right now. I love you all and pray for nothing but the best for all of you and your friends and families.
JD

One chance.

Okay, I'll give the blogger app for android one more shot.
First off, miss you Walt. Your heart was bigger than you.
Seem to be getting the cold shoulder. What's up with that? Carly Simon again.
Adjusting well to my new life. Things are a little like when you try to do something behind you while looking in the mirror. Every move you make us the exact opposite of what was intended.
If you have two friends and they tell conflicting stories of the same incident, how do you tell which one is telling the truth ?
Get back to me on that will you?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

Sudbury Connection

I almost forgot. I was actually laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes and couldn't see to reply to some of the comments on the good folks from Sudbury.
As it so happens, Jim Sweet, Jim Laporte (thus the name Jesse James Band) and I and later also Rich Taylor (Santiago) Did some travel up around Sudbury way and other parts where there was actually a guy that would change the population sign every couple weeks to reflect the growing and shrinking of the population.
When I posted on Facebook about Sudbury there was a healthy back and forth between Jim. Jim, me and Scott Hepner along with a few other comments.

It made me realize how blessed I have been to have the memories I do of those days. I was a green kid from Massachusetts without a care or any idea of what was ahead of us. Every day was an adventure and I just can't help but piss my pants when reminded of the crazy shit we did. I seem to remember playing catch with a fish?
The odor bag, the girls (some not so much) but the one thing that sticks out in my mind was I grew up with these guys. I don't mean that in the sense that we came from the same neighborhood but in the sense that I cut the apron strings or found new ones. One thing that really pissed me off though was before we started our own band we backed this guy called Al "Porky" Witherow. We played with him in Buffalo, Boston, Connecticut and Ontario Canada. We were making $160 a week for 6 nights back then. He was getting well over $1000 plus comped rooms. We were eating PBJ and this guy was feeding his 2 poodles hamburgers and hot dogs.
But what a ball we had. I know they say you can never go back but I did this weekend with the same guys I was with the last time. Thanks for all the times we had together. Like you said Jim, it's too bad we didn't realize how special it was while it was happening but I guess that's the way it always is. They can't take the memory away though. IT will always be in here (points to heart) where I can relive it when I need to smile. Laporte, Sweet, Richie wherever you are. I love you guys.

JD

The weekend

Well I wasn't really in the form to do any diary work because I know if I write shit like that down they'll come to get me. BooooHAHAHAHA!
Like that would be any different than being here?
That depends on whether I can take my music shit with me. Hmm

In case you didn't know, many years of playing drums and guitar and many ear infections has left me with about 50% of my hearing. That's the bad part. The good part is The auditory loss is the exact opposite in each ear so between the 2 ears I can hear the spectrum fine. I just have to turn it up!
This does create problems in family life though, such as, if there's a fire, you could be in serious trouble. But then again you can handle the smoke detector going off when you're cooking.
Communication, as any woman will tell you (men only need a grunt or guttural sound for communication), is key to a happy or reasonably non life threatening relationship. With me, if you see me smiling and nodding my head while you're talking from more than 3 feet away, you can be assured I can't hear a fu%^&ng thing you are saying. Just being polite and trying not to irritate you by saying, "Huh?"
So it's understandable that you may have a few mixed communications here or there. Like when you thought your wife said to go to bed with her when it was more like"You're dead if I see you with her."
See the problem?
So that was my whole weekend minus the "bed with her" part.
And of course, depression along with aggravation due to being misunderstood and just overall anger management issues is usually a bad combo.
The last thing I want (we) to do in life is upset those closest to me (us) but yet that always seems to be the case, at least with me. Perhaps it's that other people don't figure into the equation. They either don't pay attention to your rants or just don't give a shit.
I admit that I am a real pain in the ass when this darkness comes but I'm not meaning to be. Like I don't know when to leave it alone.
My good friend Jim told me a long time ago after being crushed to "just let it be." I'm trying Jimmy, really I am.
So at what point do you consider you're out of this? I guess when the blogging (diary) (scary) ends or goes into something with only the good stuff.
I am seriously trying to make this funny or smartassy (is that a word?) so anyone that reads it can grab a little something.

http://sheascornerpub.com/

I had a super time Thursday at Shea's  corner pub in Boynton Beach. Open mike is coming along. My geek chic friend Lisa was great. What a voice. Billy (known to some as Angry Billy) was a hoot. He played songs from when we were young, growing up in Boston. I don't think I ever played them before but I was left wondering why. He reminds me of my brother in-law Dave.
Got to get some advertising going there though. The object is for me to have to fight to get on mike. Wait! They're running for the exits!
Met some great folks from Sudbury Ontario. That's where they test drove the lunar rover. Ha!
I don't remember her name but she was one of the prettiest women I have ever seen and she could sing. Had to remind myself of the "No chicks in the band" rule.
I made $50 bucks in tips! wow!
So I put it to good use by buying Hay for Caitlyn's horse and putting Gas in my truck so Caitlyn could borrow it this morning. Weird how she knows when the tank is full without looking?
Well I've managed to bore the piss out of You'all this morning. Now quit reading and get back to work!
Seriously, thanks for being in here.

jd

New App sucks

After a succesful posting from the Droid it has failed to work since. Don't have any idea what happened. removed, reloaded and still get a 404 error. Oh well. Glad I didn't pay a whole 3 bucks for it! Ha!

Trying a new app.

I noticed this morning that I was unable to post from my Fender Droid. Strange that I can fill forms in almost every other web app.
Anyway, today is another dreary day but there is a ray of sunshine lurking. Yes! A cold front is coming! !!!"!!!!"!! Finally some cool weather. It may only be a few days but at least a break from the muggies.
Tonight is the permanent switch for open mike at Shea's from Wed to Thur. Should be interesting because we are going to have some kareoke people. Not quite sure exactly how it's going to work but.
Last week a really nice girl (woman ) sang a few songs and was actually pretty good. I have learned 3songs she sent links to.
I have mixed feelings about the whole thing but I'll reserve judgement till after the night is over. It's more like playing in your living room or on your back patio. Maybe my friend Joe Cotton will show up. I'd prefer that over the unknown.
More sc surgery. Nodes? I so hate doctors. That's why I started this blog in the first place. It's saving me $250 an hour!
Wish me luck tonight.
Maybe a few friends will come. Now that would be brave.
Jd

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

Buffalo day!

Well, that's what the weather has been like. Sort of how I feel lately. (boohoo)
After the midterm elections I should be elated but I reserve the right to be cynical. After all, they didn't act like conservatives the last time they were in power now did they? A little tired of the coverage. So so glad that crap is over with. When a candidate is allowed to blatantly lie about another candidate and there are no truth detectors except one cable network it makes me believe that the press is lying down on the job. Isn't it their job to prtect us idiots who don't know any better? to inform us? What ever happened to the media watchdogs? They are only watching one dog house.
Oh well, enough of the rant. It's over with at least untill next week when they all throw their hats in the ring for the 2012 elections. Just F*&cking shoot me now!
So I said to my girlfriend who looks like a horse. "What's with the long face?"
Her one leg was shorter than the other. Her name? Eileen of course.
If this depresses you, just imagine how I feel writing it. Hah!
I can't help but notice that my friends have all but dissapeared since I got into this funk shit hole. Just as well because I would probably say or do something (more) to offend them. Oops!
So the Republicans (Hopefully conservatives) have taken over the house starting in January. Will they have the balls to cut spending or at the very least hold the line on spending?
In other news, I'm on song number five since this whole thing started. Nothing like feeling low for writing music. Suggestive lyrics meaning that several different pople could think they're about them. That is so Carly Simon of me!
Ok, that's enough of the adventures of me.
I wish everyone well and a happy day.