Musician blends Christian
Jim Hughes started singing with the radio in 1958 while his mom did the laundry. He was 5 and could twist and sing at the same time.“She had me all dressed up like Elvis,” he said.
He learned to play the guitar in 1972 and three years later became a Christian, but he didn’t know any Christian songs. He only knew bar songs, so he sang them with Christian lyrics.
“It’s called a parody when you change the words,” Hughes said. Weird Al Yankovic does parodies. Martin Luther did them in the 1500s. Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was a bar song, he said.“He just put Christian words to it. Parodies have been going on for a long time.”
One of the first Christian songs Hughes learned was “Amazing Grace,” but he learned it to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun.”“This was already an established ‘Jesus freak’ song back in those days,” he said.He and three preachers were ministering in prisons, missions and halfway houses in Nevada in the late 1980s. They were doing a two-day revival at a Salvation Army mission, and its clients had to attend the services if they wanted a bed for the night. Hughes started singing songs from the mission’s 40-year-old hymn books, and the crowd sat with arms crossed, faces that said, “Make me sing.”
“After the second song, I said, ‘Man, this is a rough crowd.’ So I broke out ‘Amazing Grace’ to the ‘House of the Rising Sun.’ By the time I hit that last note, they’re hanging on the chandeliers. They’re shouting. They’re just going crazy, and someone in the back of the room goes: ‘All right, now do ‘Stairway to Heaven.’’”
It was the most popular rock ’n’ roll song of all time, he said, and he didn’t have it in his repertoire.“That night the Lord gave it to me.”The lyrics to “Old Rugged Cross” came to him, and they fit “Stairway to Heaven.” The next night he played it at the mission house, and the crowd went crazy.Hughes took the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” wrote new lyrics and turned it into “Homegrown Christian.”
One day he and his friends were at 24th Street and Van Buren in Phoenix, where the state evaluated incoming prisoners before sending them to a prison.“So I start singing my songs,” he said, “and by the time I get to ‘Homegrown Christian,’ I’m jumping up and down with my guitar, and they are all rocking and screaming.” Thirty men came up afterward and thanked him.
Hughes wrote parodies of other people’s songs, then started writing original Christian and country songs.A friend gave him a microphone that plugged into his laptop. He had written and copyrighted more than 50 songs but had never recorded any of them, because he thought he would have to pay royalties on the parodies.
“I found out that because they are parodies that the copyright is totally mine,” he said. “It’s like a political statement or cartoon. You can do that with something public.”His first CD was “The Darnel,” based on Jesus’ parable about the farmer who sows wheat, and the enemy sneaks in and sows weeds.He has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and video production, so he created his own album cover and song list with lyrics.
Then came his first original country-rock album, “Finding Hope.”“Wouldn’t you know it, an old hippy, Jesus freak writing country songs,” he said.Next came “Homegrown Christian,” which includes “Stairway.” He illustrated it with video clips from “The Passion of the Christ” and put it on YouTube.His second country-rock album was “No Boundaries,” which is all original music. Then came “Under Anointing I,” which includes songs sung partly in tongues.
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2013年8月29日 星期四
2013年8月20日 星期二
My daughter and I stood and stared
Not to scare anybody, but our washing machine may be possessed.
Of course, washers and dryers in general tend to attract a bit of paranormal activity. Where do you think that one missing sock actually goes if not to another dimension?
Ours though, at times, goes full-blown supernatural. Just last week, squeaks, clanks and boinks shook the mighty devil across the laundry room like a bronking bull in a rodeo. Each shift brought it closer to the door, a walking Frankenstein with dials. Then magically, the monster came to a halt without even a lasso or a lit torch and promptly spilled out the liquid from its guts all over the floor.
My daughter and I stood and stared. When I broke my gaze and she didn’t, I became worried.
“Do you see washing machine people?” I whispered, remembering what household appliances were harnessed by the spooks in Poltergeist. “Are they here?”
Sissy looked up strangely. “No, but daddy will be soon and he is not going to be happy.”
The kid had a point. For some reason, my husband never acknowledges the existence of this pesky laundry ghost. While Tim may resemble Fox Moulder, he just doesn’t believe. Only I bear witness to the spook’s terror.
Wait, the laundry spook, not my husband.
For instance, when all of Agent Beam’s white dress shirts turned a rather lovely shade of pink, he blamed me for washing them in hot water along with a brand new flaming red scarf.
Preposterous! Obviously the specter was trying to gives us clues as to how he passed from this living world and so he added the red scarf to symbolize his bloody death. That makes perfect sixth sense.
Or, say, when a pen gets left in a pocket — normally my husband’s pocket, mind you — and somehow it bursts during laundering and leaves giant blue stains on pants. Once again, it’s the ghoul.
You can’t write really well when you’re vapor, you know. Poor thing was trying to tell us something. Maybe his nickname or how he liked to watch reality shows, so if we could leave the telly on, that would be great. He’s an English spirit, by the way.
However, this time the old chap had really gone too far. After grabbing some towels and a crucifix, I entered the room. Tiny dots floated around in the spillage, small white orbs created not in this world. And then I opened the washing machine’s door.
Dang it. A pillow had been defiled, and its contents were strewn about the inside barrel. Some remnants may have even clogged up the hoses and machinery. That poor ghostly bloke must have been tired and wanted to sleep. It would have been an uncomfortable rest given the belt that somebody forgot to remove from some dirty pants.
Instead of cleaning it up, I decided to leave it as testament so my husband could have his ectoplasmic proof. Unfortunately, solid semi-scientific evidence doesn’t always lead him to the right conclusions.
“The washer broke. Again. Pillows can’t be washed at high speeds. The repair man has told you this before,” he said in his huffy-puffy way.
Rational arguments always win against nonbelievers, I have found.
“Maybe you need to do all the laundry.”
I wanted to add the ghost doesn’t like men, but thought that might be pushing my luck.
So now, after having to dry ourselves with newspapers for a week after the clean towels ran out, we own a new washing machine. Our specter has stayed away so far. But if he does return, we have the best ghostbusting tool around — a new warranty.
Can stuffed animals be washed in a machine, by the way?For more information, please visit aulaundry.com.
Of course, washers and dryers in general tend to attract a bit of paranormal activity. Where do you think that one missing sock actually goes if not to another dimension?
Ours though, at times, goes full-blown supernatural. Just last week, squeaks, clanks and boinks shook the mighty devil across the laundry room like a bronking bull in a rodeo. Each shift brought it closer to the door, a walking Frankenstein with dials. Then magically, the monster came to a halt without even a lasso or a lit torch and promptly spilled out the liquid from its guts all over the floor.
My daughter and I stood and stared. When I broke my gaze and she didn’t, I became worried.
“Do you see washing machine people?” I whispered, remembering what household appliances were harnessed by the spooks in Poltergeist. “Are they here?”
Sissy looked up strangely. “No, but daddy will be soon and he is not going to be happy.”
The kid had a point. For some reason, my husband never acknowledges the existence of this pesky laundry ghost. While Tim may resemble Fox Moulder, he just doesn’t believe. Only I bear witness to the spook’s terror.
Wait, the laundry spook, not my husband.
For instance, when all of Agent Beam’s white dress shirts turned a rather lovely shade of pink, he blamed me for washing them in hot water along with a brand new flaming red scarf.
Preposterous! Obviously the specter was trying to gives us clues as to how he passed from this living world and so he added the red scarf to symbolize his bloody death. That makes perfect sixth sense.
Or, say, when a pen gets left in a pocket — normally my husband’s pocket, mind you — and somehow it bursts during laundering and leaves giant blue stains on pants. Once again, it’s the ghoul.
You can’t write really well when you’re vapor, you know. Poor thing was trying to tell us something. Maybe his nickname or how he liked to watch reality shows, so if we could leave the telly on, that would be great. He’s an English spirit, by the way.
However, this time the old chap had really gone too far. After grabbing some towels and a crucifix, I entered the room. Tiny dots floated around in the spillage, small white orbs created not in this world. And then I opened the washing machine’s door.
Dang it. A pillow had been defiled, and its contents were strewn about the inside barrel. Some remnants may have even clogged up the hoses and machinery. That poor ghostly bloke must have been tired and wanted to sleep. It would have been an uncomfortable rest given the belt that somebody forgot to remove from some dirty pants.
Instead of cleaning it up, I decided to leave it as testament so my husband could have his ectoplasmic proof. Unfortunately, solid semi-scientific evidence doesn’t always lead him to the right conclusions.
“The washer broke. Again. Pillows can’t be washed at high speeds. The repair man has told you this before,” he said in his huffy-puffy way.
Rational arguments always win against nonbelievers, I have found.
“Maybe you need to do all the laundry.”
I wanted to add the ghost doesn’t like men, but thought that might be pushing my luck.
So now, after having to dry ourselves with newspapers for a week after the clean towels ran out, we own a new washing machine. Our specter has stayed away so far. But if he does return, we have the best ghostbusting tool around — a new warranty.
Can stuffed animals be washed in a machine, by the way?For more information, please visit aulaundry.com.
2013年6月19日 星期三
Saving on electricity this summer
As much as possible, we keep the air conditioning during the summer set between 76 and 78 degrees. While this seems really warm to some (including my husband sometimes) the fact is that older houses with older air conditioner units can run almost non-stop during the summer as they struggle to cool down under the intense heat.
Changing filters and even paying for a tune-up on the unit can sometimes save you more than what you would normally spend on air conditioner electricity consumption during the summer.
Another way to reduce the amount of energy your air conditioner uses is to do whatever you can to hang onto that cool air! Sealing up the doors and windows is important during the summer, too, not just during the winterizing process.
Keeping heat sources to a minimum in your house during the summer will also keep you feeling cooler and reduce the amount of energy required to cool your home.
Begin by washing and drying your clothing when it is cooler -- early in the morning or late in the evening. With a family as large as ours, this can be a real challenge.
I often say the washer and dryer are the most overworked and under-appreciated appliances in my house.
When it’s mealtime, consider cooking outdoors. Grilling is a popular activity for families during the summer, not just because it takes place in the outdoors, but also because the more you cook outside, the cooler your kitchen stays.
In my opinion, a darker room is almost always a cooler room. After you have sealed up the cracks and sills around your windows, consider heavy drapes or curtains.
If you do not have the money to invest in heavy curtains, grab a tension rod and some sheets or even a blanket and throw them up there behind the regular curtain. This will help insulate your windows slightly while providing a temporary solution.
If company is coming and you are worried about appearances, just yank those temporary curtains down and hide them until the company leaves! Remember that lighter colors will reflect the light and heat back out, while dark colored drapes will absorb and hold in the heat you are seeking to eliminate.
There are obvious ways to save on keeping your house cooler. Reducing the number of times your doors are opened and closed will reduce the hot air coming into the house and prevent your cool (and costly) air from escaping.
Keeping the laundry room door closed will help contain the heat from the washer extractor in one room instead of having it heat other rooms in the house.
Turning off appliances and lights that are unnecessary and unplugging anything that is not in use in your house can provide at least a little bit of savings on your monthly bill.
If despite all these tips and reasonable ways to save, your bill is astronomical, talk with your electric provider. There are ways to spread out your payments or even get registered for an “average” bill throughout the year, which will help you avoid the spikes in electric costs during the summer.
Changing filters and even paying for a tune-up on the unit can sometimes save you more than what you would normally spend on air conditioner electricity consumption during the summer.
Another way to reduce the amount of energy your air conditioner uses is to do whatever you can to hang onto that cool air! Sealing up the doors and windows is important during the summer, too, not just during the winterizing process.
Keeping heat sources to a minimum in your house during the summer will also keep you feeling cooler and reduce the amount of energy required to cool your home.
Begin by washing and drying your clothing when it is cooler -- early in the morning or late in the evening. With a family as large as ours, this can be a real challenge.
I often say the washer and dryer are the most overworked and under-appreciated appliances in my house.
When it’s mealtime, consider cooking outdoors. Grilling is a popular activity for families during the summer, not just because it takes place in the outdoors, but also because the more you cook outside, the cooler your kitchen stays.
In my opinion, a darker room is almost always a cooler room. After you have sealed up the cracks and sills around your windows, consider heavy drapes or curtains.
If you do not have the money to invest in heavy curtains, grab a tension rod and some sheets or even a blanket and throw them up there behind the regular curtain. This will help insulate your windows slightly while providing a temporary solution.
If company is coming and you are worried about appearances, just yank those temporary curtains down and hide them until the company leaves! Remember that lighter colors will reflect the light and heat back out, while dark colored drapes will absorb and hold in the heat you are seeking to eliminate.
There are obvious ways to save on keeping your house cooler. Reducing the number of times your doors are opened and closed will reduce the hot air coming into the house and prevent your cool (and costly) air from escaping.
Keeping the laundry room door closed will help contain the heat from the washer extractor in one room instead of having it heat other rooms in the house.
Turning off appliances and lights that are unnecessary and unplugging anything that is not in use in your house can provide at least a little bit of savings on your monthly bill.
If despite all these tips and reasonable ways to save, your bill is astronomical, talk with your electric provider. There are ways to spread out your payments or even get registered for an “average” bill throughout the year, which will help you avoid the spikes in electric costs during the summer.
2013年6月12日 星期三
What's an opossum doing in my washing machine?
I had a puzzling situation on Memorial Day morning. I was awakened by
a loud call from my wife, who was going to do a load of laundry. Our
washing machine and dryer are in our garage.
Her voice was filled with either shock or fright. I ran downstairs not knowing what I was going to find, and there she was, pointing to the washer saying there was a dead rat or gopher or mole or something that looked like that in the machine.
I asked her if it was a trick -- I thought something was going to jump out and chew on my face. I slowly opened the lid and laying inside was a young opossum doing his best playing-dead act.
He looked to be 8 to 9 inches long from pointy nose to rump. His -- or her -- tail was about 6 inches long. I later did research and my guess was he was 4 to 5 months old.
My two big questions are: How did he get into our garage, which we never leave open except to drive our vehicle in or out, and how did he climb into our washer, which also always is closed, and end up inside?
What was this little guy looking for? Water? A good hiding place?
My daughter came in through the garage the previous night and she said she hadn't seen anything. We live near a marsh area in Antioch and there's an open field across the street. We see raccoons, skunks and the occasional opossum running around at night.
We kept him in our laundry basket with the lid taped shut until night, then I let him out in the middle of the field across the street. I hope he makes it. I don't know if he is old enough to be on his own or if he got separated and lost. Any information you can provide is cheerfully appreciated.
I have to say this is the funniest and oddest question that I've come across in my 10 or so months of writing this column. I checked with my sources to see if they had ever heard of such a thing, and none had, so we are left with theories.
My original thought was maybe he was small enough to have crawled in through the washer drain, but that seems very unlikely. Opossums just don't hang out in such places. But they are excellent climbers and can squeeze in through tight quarters. They aren't as adept at it as rats, but this guy may have been able to get through a wide space under a door, or got in while the garage door was open.
The next hurdle would be in getting into the washer. One obvious thought is that he was hiding in the laundry and your wife unknowingly picked him up with the clothes.
Most likely, I believe, he went to the back of the washer where there are cords and hoses, and climbed up there. Then, if your washer is like most, there is a slight recess where you open the lid. The opossum could have nosed his way in there and dropped into the washer, the lid slamming behind him.
He may have gone looking for food or water, but probably he was just looking for a dark place to hang out -- not a wise move on his part, but he didn't know that.
I did an Internet search and found a handful of news accounts about people finding opossums in their washing machines with no clue as to how they got there, so opossums may have a washer fixation.
Your little guy probably did just fine after his escape from the rinse and spin cycles. Judging by his size, he was old enough to be on his own. Let's just hope he learned his lesson, and I'll be checking my machine in the future. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.aulaundry.com.
Her voice was filled with either shock or fright. I ran downstairs not knowing what I was going to find, and there she was, pointing to the washer saying there was a dead rat or gopher or mole or something that looked like that in the machine.
I asked her if it was a trick -- I thought something was going to jump out and chew on my face. I slowly opened the lid and laying inside was a young opossum doing his best playing-dead act.
He looked to be 8 to 9 inches long from pointy nose to rump. His -- or her -- tail was about 6 inches long. I later did research and my guess was he was 4 to 5 months old.
My two big questions are: How did he get into our garage, which we never leave open except to drive our vehicle in or out, and how did he climb into our washer, which also always is closed, and end up inside?
What was this little guy looking for? Water? A good hiding place?
My daughter came in through the garage the previous night and she said she hadn't seen anything. We live near a marsh area in Antioch and there's an open field across the street. We see raccoons, skunks and the occasional opossum running around at night.
We kept him in our laundry basket with the lid taped shut until night, then I let him out in the middle of the field across the street. I hope he makes it. I don't know if he is old enough to be on his own or if he got separated and lost. Any information you can provide is cheerfully appreciated.
I have to say this is the funniest and oddest question that I've come across in my 10 or so months of writing this column. I checked with my sources to see if they had ever heard of such a thing, and none had, so we are left with theories.
My original thought was maybe he was small enough to have crawled in through the washer drain, but that seems very unlikely. Opossums just don't hang out in such places. But they are excellent climbers and can squeeze in through tight quarters. They aren't as adept at it as rats, but this guy may have been able to get through a wide space under a door, or got in while the garage door was open.
The next hurdle would be in getting into the washer. One obvious thought is that he was hiding in the laundry and your wife unknowingly picked him up with the clothes.
Most likely, I believe, he went to the back of the washer where there are cords and hoses, and climbed up there. Then, if your washer is like most, there is a slight recess where you open the lid. The opossum could have nosed his way in there and dropped into the washer, the lid slamming behind him.
He may have gone looking for food or water, but probably he was just looking for a dark place to hang out -- not a wise move on his part, but he didn't know that.
I did an Internet search and found a handful of news accounts about people finding opossums in their washing machines with no clue as to how they got there, so opossums may have a washer fixation.
Your little guy probably did just fine after his escape from the rinse and spin cycles. Judging by his size, he was old enough to be on his own. Let's just hope he learned his lesson, and I'll be checking my machine in the future. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.aulaundry.com.
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