The Safety Dance – It’s Safe to Dance.

Written on October 24, 2009 by William Lehman in Life, Music

I’m gonna let you in on a secret. I love to dance. I look more like a fish flopping vertically on a dance floor while my extra poundage wobbles slightly behind the rest of my bulk, but I secretly love it. There is a scene in the movie Elizabethtown where Orlando Bloom’s character pulls up on a secluded dirt road in the middle of nowhere and dances. I can relate to this. When nobody is watching and there is no one looking on laughing, I love to dance.

The question isn’t so much why I love to dance as much as it is why I don’t dance randomly the rest of the time? Why can’t I be that kind of free all the time? Do I love the acceptance of other people more than dancing? Is it a pride issue? Maybe it’s the appearance of sanity that I love so much?

If I love to do something so innocuous as dancing and I shrink from it for fear of people I don’t know laughing at me maybe I am already insane anyway?

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New Blog Partnership – Mission Notes

Written on October 15, 2009 by William Lehman in Blogging, Christianity, Music

Christian Music has always been a part of my life. So a few weeks ago when I was talking with a friend from back in my b5media days he asked me if I would be willing to write a bit about Christian Music on his site, Mission Notes. Also, Jason (www.bnpositive.com) should keep me accountable with writing a bit more frequently even around here. It’s hard to talk to a guy who writes around 1000 words a day on 5-6 different blogs and not feel like you should come up with something to write about.

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Aust Severn Powerline Crossing: With all his strength.

Written on February 26, 2009 by William Lehman in Creativity, Humor, Music

aspc-with-all-his-strength Check it out. Aust Severn Powerline Crossing has just released it’s 8th consecutive album.

Songs include:

What’s your band? What’s your album? What are your songs?

Here is your task: Find your fake band and album.

Attention musicians, designers and underemployed friends with basic Photoshop or quasi-Photoshop skills.

1 – Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 – Click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 – Go to Flickr’s “explore the last seven days” area at http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover. The titles of the images on this page are your song names where you can also give image credit for the image used.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picasa, Gimp, Inkscape or whatever software you like and put it all together.

5 - Post it as a note to Facebook, twitter or whatever network you use and tag the friends you want to join in, or blog it and leave a link in your comments.

6. – Link back to the person who tagged you (it’s just polite).

Thanks goes to GW (and her band) who tagged me.

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I Want to Be a Clone

Written on January 30, 2009 by William Lehman in Humor, Music

The origins of the name “decloned” for this site in truth come from a song by Christian Artist Steve Taylor. I wonder if Steve still has that “On the Fritz” suit.

ASBO Jesus hit on the same topic today, so I thought I’d share the video to spur on the discussion.

1984 Concert

2003 Concert

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Current Projects – Paid, Semi-Paid and Unpaid

Written on January 17, 2009 by William Lehman in work

It’s funny how you accumulate projects and end up working with people in various ways. I have a bunch of these that I have stockpiled over the last few years. I thought I’d share what they were. Lets start with the unpaid projects/services I render for friends and relatives.

Unpaid

Unpaid services and projects are for friends/relatives/churches or other various entities that I have undertaken. Some people are just without the means to hire someone to do the work I can do easily and quickly. I try to only undertake free work that really appeals to me or for friends I don’t mind talking to when we get the opportunity.

Discovery Church – I built their website while I was associate pastor for them over the last 5 years. After I left, they removed all archives on their site thus killing their pagerank in Google. It wasn’t a very smart move in terms of SEO practice (and will make pulling to the forefront in google search results with my new project all the easier), but I think the leadership team is good people who have a lot going for them.

Community Wesleyan Church – I just started with building a new website for them. At least they seem to get the idea of a blog-based website and social networking. The site is built – but not live yet, I am just waiting on some of the details regarding email addresses and the like to get things moving.

Naked Pastor & HaywardART – David Hayward is a great guy. Awhile back I started hosting his Art site and recently helped him move his NakedPastor site over to my host. His traffic far outweighs mine, but that’s okay. I enjoy reading his comics and site enough to keep him at it. Besides, if I ever have to flee the United States, I know I have a friend in Canada.

Semi-Paid

Semi paid basically means I get something… anything in return for my work.

Barclay Photos – I built and host Claude’s website for him. He’s a great guy and in return he also photographed our wedding when we got married. Whenever I need some help with anything relating to photography, he’s the guy I go to. He’s been doing photography for 30+ years now. Now I just host his site and maintain his domain for him.

River Road Coffeehouse – basically this is an ongoing project where I seem to be getting paid in free coffee and an employee discount. The following song comes to mind. – please pardon the language in the subtitles, it’s still kinda funny.

le Café – Oldelaf (english subtitles)
by Boebis

Paid

Hepcherba.com – they say it’s herbs.

phagevax.com – they say it’s immunization.

pipersod.com – they say it’s grass.

ceomta.com – they say it’s all about the music.

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Fatherhood & God

Written on January 12, 2009 by William Lehman in Christianity, Family, Life, Music

Sitting on the edge of having my own little one here, I am obviously thinking about fatherhood. What does it really mean to be a father? I know I had a great father growing up. He loved me, cared for me and spurred me on in my interests even if they were not his own. I had a better heavenly father though. A Father who redeemed me when I didn’t deserve it.

Sitting in the birthing suite listening to the heartbeat of my son who I will get to meet tomorrow morning, I am overwhelmed.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

Becca is trying to get comfortable so she can sleep. I am not sure I’ll be able to. I am a bit excited. Listening to his heartbeat is calming, but makes it all the more surreal that I am sitting here in the birthing suite waiting on him to be here.

I am beginning to see what God feels for us. Even now, I know I would do anything for Aidan. How much more God would do/has done for us.

Some things I am feeling right now. Overwhelmed. Proud. Happy. Scared, but not fearful, creative, inspired and there is a bit of a melancholic atmosphere in my spirit. The music of Bebo Norman and like artists fits right now. I am not sure why.

Above all, I feel worshipful of a God who would bless us with this little one. Dang it, I am starting to cry listening to “Holy is the Lord” by Chris Tomlin.

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Of Courage, Doubt and the Inspiration

Written on January 4, 2009 by William Lehman in Art, Creativity, Music, painting

An artist seeking Inspiration is the equivalent of a writer experiencing writers block. You look high and low. You read books. You look at the works of the great artists down through history. Often it is in something seemingly mundane that this inspiration emerges from it’s hiding place and makes it’s way to the canvas. Then the unthinkable starts to happen…

You question the inspiration. Maybe you saw it somewhere and this is only a half-hearted attempt at creating something far inferior to the image that burned it’s way into your subconscious. Maybe it’s too over the top. Does it even fit the greater context of the style that I’ve come to be known for?

I’ve had questions like these at times when I’ve sat down to work on a new art project. Granted, it’s not usually if it fits the style I’ve come to be known for. I’m a realist, turned abstract expressionist who cartoons occasionally when I decide to do more than just write. But I still doubt the Inspiration of any piece halfway through. Usually right at the beginning. I’ve laid down a brush more times than I can remember because I suddenly felt very cautious of the work. I’ve shied away from showing most of my work on my website because I feel it doesn’t live up to what I saw in my head.

I’ve come to a startling conclusion. I’m not sure you can win at creating your own work if you are not able to have the courage to share it regardless of the outcome, the ridicule or the praise that a work brings when it is indeed created from within yourself. In this artists are called to a different vulnerable position that many others fail to grasp. Of stepping out on stage and not being afraid to sing loud and clear to the best of our abilities. To make big bold brushstrokes that capture the heart of what you feel the work should convey. That’s the courage we need as Artists.

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Cartoon: Mac & PC 2009

Written on December 1, 2008 by William Lehman in Humor, Life, Music

Granted, my ipod died about two months ago, but it was because I dropped it a few hundred times rather than just a software glitch.

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The Dragon

Written on November 18, 2008 by William Lehman in Christianity, Music

We’ve been studying through the book of Revelation in my Tuesday morning Bible Study. I’ve had this song on my mind most of the morning.

While this isn’t Michael Card himself singing, it’s a pretty good version of the song. It’s also a pretty cool guitar part to learn to play.

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The Grand Illusion

Written on April 8, 2008 by William Lehman in Uncategorized

One of my favorite older songs.. thought I’d share it. For some reason, I’ve had it stuck in my head all day.

Welcome to the Grand illusion
Come on in and see what’s happening
Pay the price, get your tickets for the show

The stage is set, the band starts playing
Suddenly your heart is pounding
Wishing secretly you were a star.

But don’t be fooled by the radio
The TV or the magazines
They show you photographs of how your life should be
But they’re just someone else’s fantasy

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because you never win the game
Just remember that it’s a Grand illusion
And deep inside we’re all the same.
We’re all the same…

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because your neighbors got it made
Just remember that it’s a Grand illusion
And deep inside we’re all the same.
We’re all the same…

America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition
Get yourself a brand new motor car
Someday soon we’ll stop to ponder what on Earth’s this spell we’re under
We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are

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Tag Archive: Music

1984 Concert

2003 Concert

Unpaid

Semi-Paid

Paid