Apart from Cosmos, Carl Sagan didn't leave much recording-stuff behind. But he left a recording of "Pale Blue Dot," and it's found itself rather popular on Mr. Internet, especially to aspiring video editors. Heck, perhaps they've overdone it. But the first time I heard this little narration, things started becoming clearer. 

These videos inspired me to broaden my thinking a few years ago, when I still lived in Hope, BC. It wasn't long until I was renting Cosmos out from the library.

It's a shame multiple tones would just create chaos. I could do this experiment with my own songs and it would show nothing.

I've enjoyed this little film over the last few years, although I admit that I don't really completely "get it." But I love the tone.

I'm trying to get a paper written, but it's been a rough go. I've tried to keep myself at the computer by having this documentary playing in the background. I'd just read about the documentary in a little article called "Kids of the Cloth: Child Preachers From Jesus to Marjoe" in the most recent edition of Skeptic magazine. I couldn't get it out of my head. It's a good show. It does a great job of showing how people's emotions are worked into a frenzy, or a meditation, in religious services.

Things haven't changed much. I mean, the music styles have changed, but the overall goal and effect has not.

In a little tiny way, I can empathize with him a little. I worked in worship services and churches for a long time. Even as my faith waned, I still worked in churches now and then because I enjoyed it, because I was good at it, because there was, well, no distinct end. 

As much as I was never a Pentacostal*, I did enjoy leading worship songs. I had a unique way of doing it that I really enjoyed. I'd pound through the worship songs and wouldn't give people a rest. Then, once the group was getting a little bit overwhelmed, I'd move into some quiet, slow, meditative number that would get them to focus on God a bunch. It worked well; I used that general system at different churches and congregations. It was a good time. 

I've barely played live since I stopped attending churches. I can count on two hands the number of songs I've performed live since then. My voice is out of shape. I look forward to getting back in the game.

At the beginning of September, I moved to Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. I moved here because I am teaching at a school in Agassiz, only 8 kilometers down the road. I moved into a small apartment a couple blocks from the lake. I haven't really been able to make any music. Our apartment is still rather unlivable, certainly not very friendly to making music.

I'm trying to sing a little more because I'd like to redo most of my lead vocal takes sometime over the next few months, probably during the Winter Break. If I can get my voice up to snuff, I should be able to get the vocals recorded in an adequate manner. Although I did all the vocal takes in the summer, my voice is shaky and uncontrolled, at least when compared with my first CD. So I need to get this going again to a more adequate level.

I'm hoping to get a group together here in Harrison, or to get a performance going of some sort. But I'm not there yet.

Just so you have an update.