Archive for July, 2010

There have been 30,809 aggregate views on Baha'i Views / Flitzy Phoebie on Flickr in the last 27 days, for an average of 1141 views a day. All time view count to date is 408,029. Flickr has been a wonderful vehicle for Bonita and me. -gw

 

Coach Charles is still in the South visiting family, but I stopped by the Tigers practice anyway, took some pictures, and visited briefly with Coach William. It was a beautiful mild summer evening in Tacoma. There were kids at various stations all over the field. And the cheerleaders were practicing, too. Yes, the Tigers have cheerleaders.

 

 

Will was outfitting kids in shoulder pads, pants and jerseys. The team did car washes for something like 10 Saturdays to raise more than $6000 to cover the cost. Will said he has been coaching for decades. He said that back in Atlanta he had benefitted from playing football as a kid due to the sacrifices of others who organized it, so now he provides that service. He said that sometimes he says he's gonna take a break from football, but he never does, "because there is always a team that needs a coach."

 

Will and his wife Karen, who is just as involved in the week-to-week team activities as Will is, are never home. Not only does Will, along with Charles, coach the Tigers, but they are the general managers for the Tacoma Invaders, too. Karen runs the concession stand at the Invader's games.

 

Will, Karen, Charles, and the other coaches and volunteers who give of their time with the Tigers and the Invaders contribute to cohension in the community. They are buildling community through sport as Baha'is are buildling community through devotional meetings, study circles, children's classes, junior youth groups, and home-visiting. We're all in this together.

 

Coach Charles is being driven up to Kentucky today, following his visit to family in his hometown of Lakeland FL He's probably tired of the heat by now, and probably hasn't gotten much sleep, but a visit back home has been overdue and is well worth it. He'll be back on the 31st.

 

The Invaders played the Eagles and won. They went down to Tenino and lost to the Caviliers by only one point. The playoffs begin this weekend. Charles will make it back before the championship game. And, oh yeah, the Tigers start their games the third week in August. The football season is long for these folks.

 

 

After visiting the Tiger's practice, I swung by Snake Lake, taking the short hike to the bridge over placid waters at the center of the park, a favorite spot.  A Children's Nature Exploration Area is being developed at the entrance of the park and will open in September. Another indication of the importance the learning experiences of children is given here in Tacoma.  -gw

 

 

 

I'm getting in the habit of uploading to Flickr through the night, HD video taking 5 times longer than the video I took with my other camera. Here is what I uploaded last night from the Baha'i intensive. -gw

 

 

 

 

Just when I think I know Baha’i music, I come across something that tells me I don’t. Such as Harri’s list. Who’s Harri? Harri of The Baha’i-Inspired Music Listeners Club on Facebook. (There are actually multiple administrators to the group, but Harri’s the one whose name I see the most.)

 

There are now no less than 150 videos up by almost 100 artists . There are people here whose names I don’t recognize. Surely this is the best collection of Baha’i music videos all in one spot the net.

 

Today Harri put up videos by Chris Rosser. Interesting that Chris toured as keyboardist for master Turkish musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek (2005). Thanks, Harri and friends, for continuing bring to my attention the limitations of my knowledge. -gw

Lyrics and music by James Seals & Dash Crofts, 1971)
From the album YEAR OF SUNDAY (1972).

We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk.
People, return to the tree of oneness, oh won't you hurry the Presence is there.
Down on our knees in the darkness of Sunday, we'll find the answers to all of our prayers.
And then everyday will be Sunday, for you and me. How I pray! How I pray!

God made a pact with Abraham, never leave a man alone.
So Abraham gathered his family, and brought his people home.
Along came Moses, gave the world a push. Climbed upon a mountain high.
He got the Ten Commandments from a burning bush and put together his first tribe.

Then came Jesus to Jerusalem, ridin' on His shoulder a dove.
The dove upon his shoulder said he was the One, the One to teach us how to love!
Mohammed stayed out in the desert sun, stayed out there just as long as he could.
The Maker gave him water from the River of Life, and then he gave us nationhood.

And then time passed, soon the dark clouds, came and covered up Mohammed's sun.
But the young Bab, down in Persia land, came to tell us of the Promised One.
(From Baha'i Scripture) "Lo, the nightengale of paradise
Singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity,
With holy and sweet melodies,
Proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God."
Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah!

We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk.
We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk. . ..

 

We taught on Sunday in a year full of Sundays. Here are the last of the photos from the 20th Baha'i intensive campaign. More HD videos yet to come. -gw

 

wikinomics-tapscott-e.pdf (206 KB)

 

Looks like they're getting ready to make music here. Don't you love the clutter of stages?  -gw