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The Symphony Orchestra was playing a concert in the park. They were in the middle of Beethoven�s 9th Symphony. The basses, in the back of the orchestra, decided they had a few minutes to spare before being asked to play anything, so they ran across the street to the pub for some ale. It was a windy day, so they found some string to wrap around their music stands to secure their music while they were gone. Once at the tavern, they could hear the music and keep up with the progress of the piece.
After a few rounds, they decided that they had to hurry because the last movement of the ninth symphony was under way. They stumbled back onto the bandstand and were fumbling with the string, trying to get it loose, but not having much success. The conductor saw what was happening and instantly sized up the situation: it was the bottom of the ninth, the score was tied and the basses were loaded. |
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The chickens got their way....grrr
At least prop 8 passed :) |
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I was at the polling place all of 20 minutes...so much for those long lines we were hearing about.
I voted against spending any money...and against giving chickens room to move...
...oh, and against gay marriage and abortion too.
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MONTEREY, Calif. — First Nazarene Church used to start Sunday services with announcements and a generic welcome from the associate pastor. Now service starts with whirling spotlights, stadium music and a cougar mascot bounding down the center aisle slapping high fives and making "raise the roof" gestures.
"Adding Christian Cougar was a great move for us," says the pastor. "No one calls our church boring anymore."
Churches across the country are adopting mascots to pump up Sunday mornings and rally people in worship.
"Our new mascot energizes things," says pastor Del Richards of Valley Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., which just introduced Lift-Him-Up Lion.
On Sunday morning during worship time, the Lion rushes on stage and does the running man dance to "Blessed Be Your Name." He then makes "I can't hear you" motions and broad clapping gestures, then kneels with his hands raised when the songs turn slower. Worship team members play along with his antics. During the offertory he pulls out an oversized wallet and dumps wads of fake cash into the offering plate. During the sermon he stands to the side and makes rah-rah gestures and encourages people to applaud.
"I tell him to go with the Spirit and raise some heaven," says the pastor. "By the time I get in the pulpit, the people are so amped up they can hardly contain themselves."
Visitors say they enjoy the unpredictable element.
"There's an exciting X-factor because you don't know what he'll do next," says one woman. "Without a mascot, the service seems totally planned."
Mascots are also an affordable option compared to larger projects.
"We couldn't afford a new youth center, but we can afford a wolverine costume," says a Michigan pastor whose attendance has risen considerably since they added Worship Wolverine, who does trampoline flips, handstands and runs across the platform with a banner that says, "Praise!"
But there are pitfalls among the pratfalls. One mascot in Oklahoma got himself fired for lifting the pastor's toupee and pointing to his bald head. Another pretended to fall asleep when the sermon went too long. "People loved that, but that was the last of him," says one witness.
Some churches experimented with live characters like Samson or the Apostle Paul, but people "thought they were weirdos or home
less people." Most stick with animals.
After the service in Little Rock, Lift-Him-Up Lion roams the foyer, shaking hands, playing mild gags on people and doing dance moves as visitors wave good-bye.
"Everyone wants to shake his hand now, not mine," says the pastor. "That itself is priceless." |
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Friday - Sept 26 vs. Rangers - $3 - Nosebleed
Saturday - Sept 27 vs. Rangers - $8 - Club Level
AL Division Series - Most likely Vs. Red Sox
Game 2 - Friday, Oct 3
AL Championship Series -
Game 1 - Friday Oct 10
I almost had tickets to game 7....ALMOST...it was in my grasp, but I couldn't pull the trigger.
i'll be fine, unless the series actually goes 7 games....and if the Angels win game 7...Then I will beat myself up over not getting the $30 tickets...
Now it's time to get ready for the World Series Presale. |
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