the Magical Night of the holiday party...

Magical evenings are a rarity anymore these days... when it happens, you openly accept them... This year I had the privilege of taking this classy, young lady to my holiday party for work... I'm gonna go ahead and say that I think we are a good looking couple... Kind of like Dean Martin and Jackie Kennedy of 2008... Company parties are always enjoyable, but when you can enjoy your company... Magic happens...

I got in a Fist Fight with KEILAN!!!!

My phone rings and its Keilan. I answered and said, “What’s up man?”, “Hey Buddy, can you come to Richmond?” he replied. I said, “I’m actually really busy right now, can we get together some other time?” “No Jon, you need to come down here, I need you right now.” So, I reluctantly, jumped on 95 to go see what my good friend needed. I called him when I got to Richmond and he told me to meet him at Sports Authority. I got there and He asked me to help him with selecting a pair of running shoes, because he was joining the U.S. Army. Now we all know that I threw away my running shoes the day I got out of the Army (probably like 6 months before). I told Keilan that I was not in touch with that, and furthermore, I was mad that he wouldn’t just ask me on the phone… He then asks, or challenges me to race him around the parking lot… I told him that I hadn’t run in years and that there would be no competition… as I was going to leave, Hot as all get out that I wasted PREMIUM gas to go down there, he tells me that I better not leave, or he would do something about it… I turned to walk away and felt a forceful shove from behind, it was Keilan, with his fists up to fight! I asked him what his problem was and why did he want to fight me. He told me that it didn’t matter, but it was about time this was happening… Then the sound of alarm clock was ringing as loud as can be from the Sky… and I woke up safely in my bed… Without having been “pummeled” by Kiki… is that the strangest dream or what???

If you love your Freedom, Thank a VET!!!

That was what my Gramps' bumper sticker read... He was a 24 year veteran of the United States Navy. And my uncle Mark was a 26 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps (Ooh-Rah)... I encourage you to find a veteran today and thank him or her for serving your country... and providing you the ability to be free!!! a few notable veterans that you may not know are Vets are: Staff Sergeant Kevin Dowker, USA; Captain Jason Pelt, USMC; Sergeant First Class Franklin Taylor, USA; and Master Sergeant Ken Castle, USAF. If you see one of them, or have the means to contact them... please do!!!

Why I'm voting McCain/Palin 2008

There are a few reasons listed here...
1)McCain has depth and breadth of expreience that no one in the Obama Campaign has
2)Sarah Palin is SMOKING HOT for a 40-something woman
3)McCain was a Navy man, and a POW for over two years in Vietnam
4)Sarah Palin is a great mom... who can argue with a great mom
5) and finally.... this is one of Sarah Palin's best attributes....

Blame it on the boogie

This guy is SICK!!!! Bobby-o this is for you... It reminds me of you on the bass, but this guy is looks like a bizzaro Kevin Dowker... with Damian's glasses on... making Jonathan Burke faces while he blows the funk outta that bass... watch this all the way through y'all... and just so you know... 1978 Jackson 5 was the best... for them anyway... and even though this dude is Phenomenal, He's no James Jamerson...

Here's why I like Motown

Some ask me why I love motown so much.... two words... James Jamerson. Here is one of his bass licks... true musicianship at it's finest...

Kind of Bobby-o-ish

I feel Bobby-O-ish right now.... I'm in caribou coffee, blogging on my laptop... that just seems like something he would do...

Close CALL!!!

So... For lunch I decided that I was gonna just get some chicken from the Fas-Mart and get gas while I was there... that in and of itself is kind of a "no-no"... you should never buy your food from the same place you get your gas, except WaWa. So, I'm paying no never-mind to my A.O. just reading the screen on the pump, and I look up and there is a dude standing about two feet from me and he says "Hey!" He startled me and for those of you who have ever done that know that I am a Fight or Flight kind of guy... this situation did not lend itself to a "Flight" so I had no other alternative... I snatched him by the Jacket and drew back to plant one right across his face and he yells "WHOA!!! WHOA!!! DON'T HIT ME MAN!!!" I asked him exactly why was he so close to my car and why in the "H" did he sneak up on me. He said, "I was trying to get your attention..." to which I interject "well you got it" and he continues, "Yeah I see!!!" He then proceeds to tell me the story that he and his Preg-o wife just got laid off and he had no money for them to get gas or anything to eat and he needed some cash. I was happy to give it but i reminded him "Hey man, Just so you know... I was about 2 seconds from stomping a mud-hole in your butt and walking it dry, but I will gladly help you..." Funny... and a long story short... if you see me pre-occupied... get my attention well in advance... bang a pot, shoot off a flare, shout really loud.... something or I may have to show you the floor.

what do you want to be when you grow up?

If money and time were no object, what career would you see yourself in? there are a couple that sound fun to me... a late 1800's Sheriff of a one horse town out west, a drummer for motown in the 60's (that is the best) a 1940's Private Investigator... all these cool jobs... so the question to you is.... what's your answer?

These are a few of my favorite things...

Aside from the standard "raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens" I have come to realize that there are things I really miss... my business trip has made me see that... these are'nt in any order, but here goes: Sydney, My house, my commute, Josh and Jadey, my bed, Virginia, My friends that associate with me, Monday night bible study, Fredericksburg... and so much more...

COMPLETELY DISTURBED!!!!

There are appropriate words for what I'm feeling are too explicit for me to use here... But I just haphazardly watched THE SICKEST MOVIE (in a bad way) that it has ever been my displeasure to view... I know what you are thinking... why didn't you just change the channel... but that's just it, I had no idea what it was about and my curiosity got the best of me... I kept wanting to change it, but it was so effing bizarre that I just had to see what was going to happen next... long story short... NEVER watch the movie "Boys don't cry".... I gotta go throw up now... HORRID!

Back in my Texas DAYS

Back when i was stationed in Ft. Hood, I attended an all black church... I think out of the 600+ regulars, there were two other white folks... but I must confess, I LOVE the music... I even had the chance to play drums... now that is FUN!!! I always talk about the music I want at my Funeral.... this video is a good example... Tell you what... if you can listen to this and not have a smile on your face, you need to get right with Jesus... Someone contact D.C. Washington when I go off the net and let him know... I'm "dead" serious about this... The funeral should be a happy homegoing... and if this can't make you happy... there may be no hope for you...

Deniece Williams... That girl can SING THAT SONG!!!

Ok, I know I have a bizarre taste in music, but that's where all my fresh ideas come from... This segments spotlight goes out to the great Deniece Williams... I am overly moved by music... It's almost like an out of body experience for me at times... this is one of those songs that gets me... I can hear it and actually shed a tear... I think she sang this song for me. I have been or am still perpetually in the search for love... I always find it, I get swept away by the woman of my dreams and the only hang up is she never loves me... this is the story of my life... she's always, just out of reach... I hope she will realize that I'm here... waiting for her... until then... here is the monument to all the "loves of my life"

REST AND RELAX

So, back from my business trip... just for the weekend, and monday to prep for Sydney's third birthday... I'm so excited, but sad too... she is growing up on a brother...

(Heavy SIGH)

I have been in the state for "Crabs" for only a few days and it's already wearing me out... Who made this state??? Terrible Idea. I will say (and this will sound gay) I found a great mall here to shop at... I have already started my Christmas shopping.... How exciting? I really do enjoy buying stuff for people, I think that Gift Certificates, unless you really don't know someone, are the best way to say, "hey, I could really care less about putting effort into buying you something so here's the Lazy way out" it almost reminds me of the Italian Mafia where they give their wives $100 and say "go get yourself something nice" just to get them out of their hair. I take pride in the fact that when gifts are called for, I put concerted effort into finding that one special thing for someone so when you receive a gift from me, it usually has thought and effort behind it... for example, I shopped for about 2 hours today and bought for just one person and only got them two things... I think that's probably why I start my shopping in October. Anyways, I thought that maybe I would get a back rub by one of them Chinamen in the mall... I wouldn't be the first bit surprised to wake up with bruises all over my back... I thought that maybe he wanted to fight... Needless to say, that crap hurt... no thanks. and let me top it off with a typical Jonathan Burke story... I have never been a fan of kiosks in the mall... they usually lash out at you and rub some lotion on your hand, try to pluck your eyebrows, get you to buy a pound puppies calendar... but this one, the "Hefty" young lady was just sitting there reading a book and minding her business... That actually lured me in... she was selling what looked to be "bootleg" CD's and I thought, "man, that's odd, selling bootleg cuts in the mall... right across from FYE" then I looked up and read the sign... "Straight from D.C.... "Go-Go cuts".... now you KNOW you are in the Ghetto when they are selling Go-Go CD's in the mall on CD-Rs...

When Life hands you lemons...

You make lemonade... Sure, I'm out of pocket up here in Baltimore, but I am a pretty savvy traveler due to the extensive amount of travel I have incurred over the years... I figured if I got to be here, make the most of it... Right? Wednesday is looking like a wonderful evening of food and entertainment at Toby's with the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic "Phantom of the Opera" only to be followed by a Feast fit for a king and a round of jousting on Thursday at Baltimore's very own "Medieval Times"... anyone interested in joining me, please let me know... Good times in the city where rats are the size of Chihuahuas!!! I have very nice accommodations so if you plan on coming, you can crash at my flat and just leave the following morning...

Alone again... Naturally

Good ref... I know. I'm up here in Baltimore... Board outta my gourd... I will be up here for like 3 weeks... The worst. And now for a Jonathan Burke story...


On my way to this ditty, I missed my exit (Classic) and wound up in D.C. Great place in the day... Night time, NOT-SO-MUCH! I saw some flashing lights and was obviously intrigued, and then as I got "round the way", I see a whole mess of folks standing outside the "apartment complex" and I assumed that it was fire, but i guess it wasn't, because there was some little dude straight booking it with a TV/DVD combo... WHAT IN THE WORLD... I don't dig those Ghetto scenes (or any war machines... where are you American Woman???)

And you guys say your my "friends"

What's up with my wig in this... and you all let me go around looking like this... y'all are the WORST!!!

Debbie Boone said it best...

I was taking Sydney over to target to buy her some "pet shops" as she calls them... "Thanks Tori"... and on the way over there, she hits me with a plethora of funny things... starting with, "dad, did you know that when the light is red, that means we have to stop..." and then she is telling me that green means we can go, if it is safe... what two year old says, if it's safe... by the time we reached target she noticed a CD that I had playing... she says, "Dad, is that Motown on the radio?" It made me laugh as i answered, "yes it is". she then said, "I thought so, that tambourine sounded familiar" where did she get all these funny things from? not to quote Debbie Boone, But she lights up my life!!!

The added value of a good percussionist

Most people classify people who play the drums as percussionist, but they are NOT the same... Drummers play drums, true, but the term more applies to drum sets... percussionists play a wide variety of intricate instruments, from cowbells, shakers, wood blocks, bongos, congas (not congos.. that is the worst when people say that) and they play all the other crap you played in the fourth grade. I for one am a drummer, I prefer the drum set than any other set up, and i can play a little percussion... this guy in this video will show you the difference in what a percussionist does... if he/she does it well...

This reminds me of Keilan

Oh my dear sweet boy.... this is you, if you played bass in the late 70's...

Been a while...

Hey everyone... a few things... It has been a while since my last post, but I have been busy as I don't know what... We have been getting ready for Colby and Annie's going away... here are some pictures of the madness...

12th annual Kids Convention and Jonathan Burke Sartotorial assistance

today was action packed at Spotsy Mall (now referred to as the town centre.) It was the 12th annual Kids convention... Sydney and I ventured out and hit all the booths there, we made a clay pot, a water balloon yo-yo(can't wait for that to pop), she made some slime, saw some bugs from the bug box and had her face painted... (classic). I also want to say that I was signed up to free memberships to like two or three gyms... What a waste. anyway a day full of laughing and having fun, complete with crying and a tantrum at the end (she was getting sleepy) was all had. Now, one thing i like about the mall in spotsy is Macy's... great selection, great price, and friendly staff. Macy's is by far the best store in that mall. I have been known to be some what of a fashion buff (not something you really want to brag about), but the fact of the matter is, I'm just a detail oriented guy when it comes to clothes. Let's go over the must haves... from the bottom up. Socks... you gotta at least get two pair (camel and charcoal) of thick wool socks... nothing says fall/winter like that. now for shoes i have two options... Hunter originals, an all out great shoe for those snowy or rainy days... be sure to tuck your trousers INSIDE the boot. you may say... that looks like a fashion Faux Pas, it's not, wet bottoms of your suit pants is. the other shoe, Aptly sported by my brother, Joshua Burke is the Wallabes, by clark. get them in tan... that is the original color. these can be dressed down with some nice DARK indigo jeans or even stepped up for the office, paired with some chinos or cords. since we're "moving on up" Jeans, Cords, Chinos.... all are in and all are great. the thing you are looking for here is fit and color... with jeans... the darker the better, Cords and Chinos... go with muted earth-tones... browns, tans (NOT LIGHT KHAKI!!! that's for the summer), even the hunter green is a good one. Here's a secret, the less break you have in your pants the taller and neater your pants will look, also, get them slim fitted, bell bottoms are not in style anymore... shirts, well it all depends... where are you going... the key point here is fit, most people, I was just as guilty, have this idea that if they get their shirts a little big, they can, 1)hide their weight, 2) have room to grow into the shirt... News flash, wearing a shirt that is even one size too big will not hide your weight, it will accentuate it, and room to grow... trust me, if you are over 18, you're done growing... buy a shirt that fits, or even have it altered so you don't look like you are wearing a trash bag. granted, we don't all have a Kevin Dowker or Bobby Oliveri physique, we can't all be so lucky... but I am saying get your shirt cut to fit. for guys like Kevin and Bobby... those shirts should be as snug in the mid torso as your pants, if you look more like me (198lbs of chewed bubble gum or a sack of potatoes) them get it with no more then two inches of play in the sides... not a skin fit, but no loose fabric. I have a Tailor that is amazing. go with some plaid, button-down collars or some v-neck sweaters, again FITTING NOT BAGGY... Just remember the 70's. same with jackets, get them to fit... it's not 1984 so loose the shoulder pads, get a jacket that hugs your shoulders, not hangs off. for fall/winter, tweed and cords seems to be the thing, earth tones are a must. as far as neck wear, YOU JUST GOTTA GET A KNIT TIE... I got mine from polo, I love it and plan on getting more, but you can get one from target... and the great thing is they are only 20 bucks there... target is still a great place to shop. finally let's nail down the outer wear. a six-button pea coat that is just below the waist or a leather "bomber-style" jacket that stops right at the waist is needed for your casual look. A mid thigh, three button, camel or tweed, or even navy over coat is a must for your dressier occasions. you'll notice that the mention of black was not in this set up for fall... while you can still wear it, why not take advantage of the change to see some new colors come out to play. here is a great opportunity to be "out there" and still be considered "business". as a final note, no winter wardrobe is complete without, these three items, Hat, Gloves and Scarf... as far as a hat, Tweed or wool, "news boy" is good for everyone, you want to step it up? get a fedora... gloves, I personally go for leather isotoners, you can get them at Khol's pretty cheap. and finally, a scarf... you can snatch one up about anywhere, but I would get it from S&K... that's about all i would buy from that place... you can secure one for about 20 bucks. feel free to post any questions about this...

"Greasing the Skids"

That's an old Army term for "getting ready"... we are greasing the skids to send Colby and Annie (and Haley and Darcy) over to Iceland, with what I will consider will probably the biggest concert that I have played in the longest time... I have played to crowds over 600 (when i was in the touring choir in Texas) and that took a lot of prepping, but I can say that this is probably the biggest that means the most to me. I have known the Garmans for about 7 years now and shared very special times with them, they are truly my friends. i really want to make this concert a great success, not for personal reasons, but to show the Garmans that they are worth every bit of effort that we are putting into them... actually, they are worth much, much more. the "concert" will be held at Stafford Baptist Church on October 4th, 2008 starting about 6. I highly encourage you to come if you have a heart for missions, adventure, or the Garmans themselves. there is no cost, and this is a great way to learn about what they will be doing. please come and support these wonderful people and share the "Joy in their journey".

Karaoke MADNESS!!!

If I decide to go (which I'm leaning towards "YES") this will be my fourth night in a week... STOP THE MADNESS!!!

This week's featured artist

Earlier I made a reference to Eric Hutchinson's song "Rock & Roll"... Still a beauty, but let me also turn you on to Marc Broussard... you can look him up on you tube... he also sings with Toby Lightman... she's pretty good too. Again, a man after my heart with his soulful sounds and retro tracks... I am really hoping to see this music come back in style... it never really lost prominence in Louisiana which is where Marc is from... I encourage you to listen to: Someone you know, Let the music get down in your soul, and If I could build my whole world around you... phenomenal young man!!!

Mike Burke... The man of wisdom...

I gotta say... I love my Dad... but for more than just the fact that he's my "dad", but because he's a great friend. I would have to say, the older I get, the more I find myself becoming like him and for the majority, that's awesome... especially since I became a dad in 2005. I can remember so many great one-liners that my dad has had, I would be here all day reciting them... needless to say, everyday in the Burke house (Burke Palace), was full of adventure and excitement. Dad has a couple staple mannerisms that are unique to him... Josh can attest... Like when we were little, he would stand over top of you while doing your homework in the silent room and you could hear him breathing so loud, and then you'd know before you were about to get corrected, by the half-second pause before you hear, Read that again son... or his signature Mike Burke throat clearing, I find myself doing all the time... not to mention the absolutely hilarious statements that come from this man... to this day, and I guess I should be ashamed of saying this, but I have never laughed as much when I heard someone cuss the way he does... it's hysterical. I had the privilege of working beside my dad for several home projects and in my late teen years, working as a member on his crew doing construction... those were probably my best times in life... most recently, I have expressed an interest in "getting back out there" and starting to date... I was talking to dad about this and he offers some great advice... But before I can share that advice, I have to lay it out for you... I typically like women EONS out of my league... High-maintenance, prissy, girly, want to get their nails done every week, take two hours to get ready to go to dinner at McDonald's type of chicks... don't know why, I just do. As I was telling dad about some of my "interests" he said, "Well Jonathan, I think that you are truly a catch for some woman. You're honest, a great father, you take good care of yourself, you make good money, I think that there are no women that are out of you're league." My dad is a pretty good hype-man... then he follows up with, "But I'm gonna tell you what my dad told me" (so you can now see that it didn't start with him, he's just keeping the rediculi going), I said, "What's that dad?" He said, "Don't marry one of these drop dead gorgeous women, marry someone who is just plain... The gorgeous one's always will leave you." So I said to him, "Dad, an ugly girl can leave you too..." His reply, "well, yeah they can... but who gives a s**t?"... That's my dad... and the best part, he was dead serious... and so was his dad... Funny as I don't know what!!!

Someone make sense of this...

A few random thoughts from me... I really like the song "Rock & Roll" by Eric Hutchinson... it has such an old feel to it, but it's still pop for 2008... I admire that type of musicianship. I have also been feeling somewhat restless the last few days, kinda anxious I guess. No real reason, just that's the way I feel. it's Monday and I'm already looking forward to the weekend... Terrible. I really want to write a bone crusher of a song, but I only play drums really good, all other instruments, I just play enough to get by, can't really compose on a drum set. The Baby has been so awesome, but she is getting older and hanging out in the house is not what she wants to do, I want to do some cool stuff with her, but I just am out of Ideas, She does like to help wash the dishes (and subsequently spray me with the hose)... Overall, I feel that I am a good dad, and I may even say in a non-cocky way, I'm a great dad... But I want to be the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD... and on that, I'm just stuck. Sydney is such a bright little girl, and that's not just a dad bragging up his kid, if you have met her, you all agree that she is fairly smart and funny to boot. She gets her funniness from the Burkes, and that's not on the table for discussion... My dad, "Mike" is probably the funniest cat I know, with his blunt and non-politically correct statements, it's actually where I get it from... If you have ever seen Royal Tenenbaum, you have seen Mike Burke... But aside from her demeanor of being funny, she is also geared to be a performer, I think anyway... That runs in my family too... Look at Joshua and Jadey (Jadey may be from a different family, but she has been a part of my life for more than half of it... She's family). Sydney can watch you tube videos of singing and dancing for like hours on end... and another Burke trait she shares is, elephant memory... She can put a DVD in a different case, and in two months tell you exactly where it is... Funny. So, now that I'm done rambling on about her, anyone with good ideas for a dad and daughter to do?

Down at Fraggle Rock...

Sydney is now a fan of Fraggle Rock... Can't say that I blame her... that show is awesome... That show along with a list of others were my favorite as a child... I can't find the other sweet ones... Like Count Duckula, under the umbrella tree, Danger Mouse, the Elephant Show, You Can't do that on Television, and a laundry list of others... but I will continue my search...

I'm just speechless... now that's a feat

During my divorce, as I spiraled out of control, searching for someone that would fill the void left of my broken marriage, I signed up for an online dating thing... I rate this #8 in my top 10 dumb ideas... what a waste. They send you an e-mail every so often with what they consider your "Matches" and you are supposed to reply... Honestly, I think after day two I was really regreting this waste of time and money. some of the "prizes" that hit me up were, Golddigga81, lonelygirl324, desparatelywanting12, and a myraid of other hood rat broads... and those are names they gave themselves!!! Honestly, what is running through your gourd... "Hi, I'm Golddigga81..." coupled with a photo on a cell phone photo that you are taking of yourself in a bathroom mirror "Dropping it like it's hot"... Sweetie, police yourself up and get that act together... And lonely girl... well, there is probably a reason for that... stage 5 clinger... I did see some nice chicks on there, and even talked to a few of them over the phone and what have you... but no one really struck me as someone to be more than friends "or one time meet and greets". I am glad to report that I have cancelled that "service"... it's been a while now, but I learned that looking for someone... especially in that forum, is just a waste of time. And it has made me realize that I'm a fairly decent cat, with a lot to offer someone, once they see it, they will know, and so will I. I finally know who I am and what I want... and subsequently don't want... (Photo on a cell phone in your bathroom... who the crap does that???) I'm just gonna keep rockin' til Ms. Right comes along... As some would say and probably all of you are thinking... ONLY JONATHAN BURKE!!!

Rediculi...

Alright, I am hot to trot right now... The Weather report stated... as a matter of fact, I even got a notice on my phone, that severe storms and what have you would be coming up this way... So I grabbed the appropriate overcoat (and it's dang near 90 degrees out there) so lugging that joint around is not what I really wanted to do... I just came in from out side... Absolutely gorgeous out there... This really grinds my gears... Had I left that home we would have had hail and everything else... you may be wondering about the title... "rediculi" applies to when two or more things are Rediculous (according to Jonathan Burke), just after a brief dry spell of funnies from the "Pentagon People"... they are back in full force... Starting my day, I went to the McDonald's and this gay midget was GOING OFF on the people at the counter... It's been making me laugh all day... I'm even chuckling as I write this... And he was giving those people the business too... He had all these little multi-colored beads in his hair and stuff... I was crying by the time I left up outta there. Then, around lunch time, I was walking outside and happed upon this older black lady... WITH A WIG ON BACKWARDS, and you know it was blonde...Furthermore, she was not the most "shapely" character, but for some reason felt compelled to wear a shirt that was cut down to her naval... after a few dry heaves, I began laughing... Then she busts out a smile at me and her teeth looked like a firecracker had gone off in her mouth... not a nane one tooth was straight... This sent me over the edge... You may say that this is mean, but I'm not really laughing at the people's issues, it is their indifference to change them... that is what keeps me rolling... I just enjoy each day as it comes, and once it goes, all that are left are the memories... I have a ton of memories... I think that "rediculi" applies to today's happenings...

Nothing really note worthy

Stuff has pretty much been the same... I feel like I haven't seen most of you in ages... but just a re-cap of what is the same... I still love being a Musician, Sydney is still AWESOME, Shauna is still being difficult to deal with, Motown music is still my favorite, I still love all my friends, My parents are still asking me 100 questions about everything (yeah, that still goes on, even if you are 25 and living on your own 7 years running), My beard is growing in nicely for the fall/winter months, so is my hair, the people at the pentagon still amuse me with their "rediculi", And God is unchanging, Still Blessing me beyond measure... The standard JB Rant stuff... Nothing out of the normal...

No TAKERS and Great weekend...

Alright, I see no takers for the Bassist, So let me tell you... James Jamerson. Jamerson was the Bassist for Motown, he pretty much played on every record for every Motown artist in the starting phases. Now on to something else, Today (actually the 28th) marked my fathers 65th birthday. We had a small family gathering, all my brothers and sister came into town and we gave my dad the best party we could. The biggest surprise for me was a great friend from long ago, that I haven't seen in a long time, came by to join in. It was truly great on all accounts. and not to mention DB and I had fun cutting up all weekend... that's where the picture came from... Great.

Yeah... you got that one, so here's another...

Alright... you got that last one... Carter Beauford from Dave Matthews Band... Now here's another one... This man, Single-handedly, Changed the way Bass Guitar is played... his impeccable timing, and style has influenced the style of every Bass Player, even if you don't know it...

Can you name this drummer...

Quite possibly the most talented man on the kit ever...

And now the explaination for yesterday's post...

I was really surprised, only one person confronted me on it... (reality check) I guess not too many people read this thing!!! Anywho, The statement when plainly read says, "God don't let me lean on your grace" but that is just it, You have nothing else to lean on, but his grace... The meaning behind what I'm saying is "God don't let me excuse my actions with the the blanket statement (God forgives)"... you copy now? The truth is we will never achieve a level where we don't need God's grace in our lives, daily, however we shouldn't turn a blind eye to our blatant wrongdoings and then just saying, "God forgives"... although we are "in good hands"... this ain't Allstate. God's grace isn't license or "insurance" to do what we want and say, "Yeah... God forgives". Something I think is all to present in most of our lives. Kevin hit the nail on the head last night in accountability, and this is the Jonathan interpretation, you can't understand the depth of god's grace, until you understand the depth of your sin. Something that I think I should reflect on...

part of my prayer last night...

"God, Let your Grace be present in my life... but not a crutch I lean on"

Weekend of "Rediculi"

All I can say is... Those who know... Know.

An ode to my good friend Cory Carter

Most of you know that I served in the US Army... During my tenure of service, I met thousands of people... Literally. Not one person from that 6+ years of my life stands out quite like Cory. You may have read Jason's Blog about "Gunny G", I am here to say, Cory is all that and more. When I first was assigned to the White House Communications Agency as a newly promoted Specialist, most people's opinion of a 20 year old "kid" was less than desirable... The one person I found to be not only a mentor, but friend I would give my life for was Staff Sergeant Carter. As I in processed at the personnel shop he was one of the first people I was introduced to, and the shocking part was, everyone else there was treating me like a somewhat second class citizen, save Cory. I want to say someone was trying to give me the business, and he quickly came to my defense. Over my 4 years there, it became quite evident that I was not every one's favorite person, and I guess knowing my regs to quickly rebut every ones corrections of me did not help matters... when it came time for me to get promoted, it wasn't the people that I worked with or even for who helped me, It was Cory. Cory worked in a completely different section altogether, and could have very easily told me to get MY leadership to help me... But like a true Non-Commissioned Officer, he gladly took me under his wing, mentoring me in the disciplines necessary to be a successful NCO myself. my time for shining never really came while I was on active duty, it came after that... in civilian life. Most of my characteristics and trademark sayings were developed by or with Cory. I say all that to say this... To my dear friend, a man I look up to, thank you from the bottom of my heart... a man who saw potential in a junior troop and chipped away the rough edges, until I became who I am professionally. granted there was a lot on the behalf of my parents, but that is the responsibility of a parent, when someone who is not in that role assumes it, they become immeasurable in their worth. Cory Carter may never have a fanfare ticker-tape parade in his honor, but I can say the the difference he made in the life of Jonathan Burke will NEVER be forgotten... I hope to one day be that man to someone else.

I'm back and better than ever!!!

Alright... the BLOG-STRIKE is over!!! I waited two weeks, now I'm back in action... with tales of "Rediculi" that can only be expereinced in "The Life and Times of Jonathan P. Burke"... Wow, so much has happened since the the two week sign off I will just have to say, I guess you missed out on some goodies, but oh well, and truthfully, I don't know that you "Missed out". Most all things have been positive, maybe there is some negative things in that time span, but nothing comes to mind... Kevin Dowker (AKA: The Dowkem Powder) and I have been meeting for accountability and that has really brought me around in several areas of life... I am very grateful to have a friend such as him. plus the Mushroom/Squash thing that he cooks could possibly be the best thing I have eaten in my life. I set up a Face Book account and already, I'm loving it! I have re-connected with several friends from High School, people I haven't seen in 7+ years. It is so cool to me... being able to see them and for them to see me now... Again, Face Book could possibly be the best thing on the Internet. I'm starting school on September 29th and I'm super excited... getting my degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Also, Damian turned me on to "Cha-Cha" a texting service that you can ask any question to and you will get a response with your answer... it's like the magic 8-ball, but for 2008, and the answers are factual (someone does the research and responds) you never get, "Reply hazy, ask again later". My good friend Bobby is back from the mission field of Indonesia, I'm so glad that he is back. ON to something else, Jason Pelt and I are doing a Weigh down campaign to loose some weight, one of the contingencies for this is to actually post our weight on our blogs... so as much as I say I'm fat, I think it may be true, according to "Cha-Cha" the average 6 foot man should weigh between 160-175lbs... Bobby will be good for eternity. I am at 195lbs... granted that is a drop from my earlier 200lbs and my zenith of obesity at a whopping 220lbs (and the funny about that is that was when I was on active duty, I get out and lose close to 30lbs... go figure). I got 20 lbs to go... let's see how well I manage. Sydney is still hilarious, the other night I made dinner for us and a promise to her that if she ate half of her dinner, I would give her some cookies. she did as she promised and so when I go to the pantry to get the cookies I asked her, "Sydney, do you want one cookie or two?" almost certain that she would opt for two she said something that even shocked me... she paused for a second and then replied, "Well... I was thinking maybe three..." I laughed so hard it made the walls shake! I love how my two year old computed the numerical value of three as being more. she is a flat out riot. I will be putting her in Tap Dancing classes for two reasons, 1) she wants to do it and 2) it will undoubtedly entertain the masses, especially me. I used to tap dance for a little while and I want to do all I can to encourage her "Hammyness" my parents did that for me and I think that I'm a pretty out going person. I have home video after home video of me doing all kinds of "performances". every thing from tap dancing in my bathing suit, to singing "Why'd you come in here looking like that?" by Dolly Parton... I don't care what you think... that song was the JAM in 1989. That doesn't include all the random Karate (but let's be real, thery were Ninja moves, ask Josh about "wild-cat") on video tape... I can look back and laugh now, but then, I was doing for real, I was meaning it too. Then there's me rapping (every white boy goes through that phase, plus late 80's was a hot bed for the rap scene) ahhh... random reflections. the reason I can say that my mom and dad encouraged this is simply due to the fact that they recorded it... not like we were somewhere and they happened to catch it in a glimpse. no, it was straight recorded in the basement or kitchen depending on what my mom had going on. there is even a spot on the video where I fire my mom up because she "Didn't introduce me"... you can validate all of these things through Josh, Bobby, Damian or even ask my mom herself at church... she'll let you know... while I assume I will remain the grand poo-bah of hams in the Burke family, I see a rising potential in my heir... Sydney.

no more blogging for a while...

I know, I post things randomly throughout the day, however some readers, think that's all I do. Well that's kinda true, but I do other stuff too. so here are two things I will do to "remedy" the situation. 1) I will not blog again for two weeks (sorry Jason), and 2) I will read everyone else's, but post no comments... that should give everyone the break from Jonathan Burkedom they need. So with this being my last post til the end of the month, please let me say, SETH KEGLEY is quite possibly THEE single most TALENTED PERSON IT HAS EVER BEEN MY PLEASURE TO ENTERTAIN COMPANY WITH... HE ROCKS MY SOCKS!!!

From an Army Vet, Thanks US Navy...

Long ago, the U.S. Navy had a slogan for selling their service... It's listed below and I think it describes me perfectly...

It's not a Job, It's an Adventure

Social Experiment

We all know that I'm a little "un-couth"... or at least I have been told that... So, you shouldn't be surprised to find out the other day, as I was leaving work (Pentagon), I put my sunglasses on and braced myself to the wall and proceeded to act as if I was blind. I walked down the hallway, blankly staring ahead, I "Struggled" to read the Braile on the signs, and I observed two things... 1) no one really stopped to help me and 2) people would stare like they never saw a blind person before... terrible. It makes me wonder how the blind man that Jesus healed must have felt and what an utter joy it was for him to recieve sight. People realize what they don't have, but want... and people also don't realize what they have... I said all that to say this, if you can afford to help someone, do it...

Can't believe how blessed I am...

I was talking to Damian until about 12:15 and just talking about how blessed I am... Sincerly, I have to say, It blows my mind. I have a whole rack of friends, my parents still live together, I have a beautiful daughter, My brother and I are the best friends in the world, I have food in the fridge, Money in my pocket, a roof over my head... the list just goes on. I thank God for this every day!!!

This song may make you cry...

Seriously, they don't make them like they used to... if you repeat this out loud, or even reflect on it... well for me... It brought tears to my eyes...


How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Just can't let it go...

I'm not gonna lie, I am absolutely having a love affair with the song, "Sing your praise to the lord"... The best part is everyone I have talked to can't stand it!!! This all started on Sunday afternoon... there was some kids camp and to go along with the slide show, they played that song. That night, amongst friends at Baskin Robins, I shared how much I liked that song... Brittany and Alyssa both looked at me with sheer disgust, but I just couldn't stop singing it... before long, they were singing it, and they were mad at me because i got it stuck in their head... usually nothing stays in my head for more than 12 minutes and I'm off to rambling about something else ridiculous, but it is now Thursday and I'm still "Singing my praise to the Lord"... I want that song played at my funeral (long running joke with Damian, every song in the world is gonna be played at my funeral according to him!!!)

Horrid (continued)

So after relentless hours of tedious work, I decided to "Study for the LSAT" in the bathroom... upon seeing that most of the "reading rooms" were occupied, I had to settle for the one next to my favorite... as I'm reviewing my study guide, I hear a loud and thunderous breath that can only be described as "Snoring"... Some one was dead asleep on the can!!! how does that happen? Baffled at this I cut my study session short and just went back to my desk... that gives a whole new meaning to the rhyme "nap and a... well you get it" another reason why the pentagon rates up there with the strangest places on the earth.

Horrid...

I have the distinct pleasure of being around people that entertain me... not that they even mean to... I am a people watcher... it is so funny to me, don't really know why. What makes that even funnier to the people who are watching me is my sheer shock that is borne on my face at some of them. Take the pentagon for instance... comb-over capital of the world... Dude, you are bald... accept it and move on, that is NOT CUTE!!! I have seriously seen, jeez it has to be up in the hundreds. My favorite thus far has been this older Afro-American dude I have seen a dozen times in the hallway, trying to have a Jerry curl, gold tooth, and a mustache/soul patch combo that is reminiscent of a woolly willy toy, and he had the nerve to have a shirt on that said "when god made me, he was just showing off", I thought they were gonna have to call 9-1-1 to pick me up as I hysterically laughed (Kind of like D.C. Washington) in the hall. Another thing that really grinds my gears is the amount of poor hygiene some of these people practice... seriously, there is so much money that these people make... Take your tail to the barber shop and quit trying to save 8 dollars by cutting your hair with a flowbee... take the shirt that looks like you slept in it the night before you came to work to the dry cleaners... IT'S 99 CENTS!!! I had the "honor" of sitting next to a guy today in a meeting and his breath smelled like summer sausage and hot nickels... and he says, "hold the meeting! gotta get some more coffee!" I was gonna tell him to get a car air freshener to hang off his front tooth while he was down to the seven-eleven... seriously, I have changed diapers that didn't smell that bad. one word describes this... HORRID!!!!

I just got audited... Spiritually...

There are several titles that would fit this blog... but that one "rocked my socks". Yesterday, Kevin made a comment at Bible Study (AKA: B-Stud) about accountability. I got the chance to be "audited" by the Kevin Dowker himself... one word that describes this... Ouch!!! (but in a good way)... I have held to the fact that true friendship is being able to flat call someone out on something, and have them thank you for it. That's what happened tonight with the Dowk... Let me please say... He finessed it a little bit... to make the pill easier to swallow, but after about an hour of that with little to no results he loaded the shotgun and blasted me in the wig... I gotta say, a few things about this method... The best way to get to me, by far. I am really receptive to that method... I don't get subtle hints. Being called out, not on any particular "Sin" but just heading down a path of poor choices that ultimately lead to sin has been most helpful... I feel even more open to discussing "the real issues" with him... seeing the genuineness that comes from him... and hearing him relate bad choices within his own life make you realize that we are just sinners saved by grace and that we all struggle... there is a song by Donnie McClurkin called "we fall down" and one of the lines is "for a saint is just a sinner who fell down... and then got back up". Satan's desire for us to live defeated... defeated in our sin, and short comings, however, Christ offers grace that covers all... so if you fall down, then get back up, and if you need a hand, reach out to a fellow brother (or sister) in Christ.

O to Grace how great a debtor...

This is the opening line (On the third verse) to my favorite hymn, actually one of my favorite hymns... Be thou my vision is my favorite... anyway, last night after everyone left the scene, I had the chance to pray and reflect on not only my personal issues/struggles but having listened to others issues/struggles, God kept bringing this song back to my mind, and what began as somewhat solemn, down-trodden prayer morphed into to praise... praise to a God that has shown so much mercy and grace.... If you have not heard the song "Come thou fount" you have truly missed out... I found myself singing it in my head this morning and just can't get it out (some would say that's better than the Amy Grant song I couldn't shut up about) So, I encourage you to read the lyrics below and even make them your song to God as well... let the words saturate your heart and become real to you, as they have to me...


Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

Great weekend to follow up with terrible thursday...

Well... as this weekend drew to a close, I have to say it was bittersweet. The bitter parts: Bobby-O, Zach, and Stacy left for Indonesia... it's only bitter in the fact that they will be out of my life for 10 days (Selfish). Colby and Annie are officially out of town. This morning I heard something on the radio that reminded me of Colby, I wish he had a phone so I could have called and left it as a message... (I heard total eclipse of the heart)... and I found out some disturbing info about my daughter's living situation... I may be making a mountain out of a mole hill on that one, it's definitely not the first choice of mine. I have to rest in the fact that Christ is ultimately in control and he will protect her in all situations, and it reminds me that I don't have the control over my life, let alone Sydney's, therefore the charge is: "Trust him"... something I think is hard to do, not just for me, but for all of us. The sweet parts: I did get to spend time with Bobby-O and Ben... Good quality time. I also got to spend a sizable amount of time with some "old friends" and get to reconnect with them, that was really uplifting. Now let's talk about the best part of the weekend... SBC 3-on3... Kevin Dowker put on a spectacular event that drew in the remaining funds needed for the Indonesia Missions Trip... Hat's off to Kevin "The Dowkum Powder" Dowker... Great event! Finally, I got to see my Nephew who is serving our country in the Marine Corps (OOH-RAH) before he "goes down range" to Protect and Defend. I am soliciting your prayers not just for Matthew, but all military members... My Gramps had a bumper sticker on his truck that simply stated, "If you love your Freedom, Thank a VET"... I know I read that sticker a thousand times and i will say that it played a part in my call to service, I was glad to be a part of the best Army in the world... in closing, this weekend has been great, I look forward to what lies ahead...

It's time for saying good bye...

First off, that title is a reference to a song from the greatest movie of all times... the Muppets take Manhattan... now let me tell you the story... I fear that it is time for me to part with one of my favorite possessions... I have had since 1986. Not only is it a "possession" but it has been a comfort that I have had a 22 year attachment to... I'm talking about my pillow...yeah the one I sleep with. It this was given to me by my Nana when I was 4 and I have slept with it everyday since... that's roughly 8,030 nights of bliss... however, I think it's time to lay it to rest (no pun intended)... this pillow has been everywhere I have... Be that staying the night at a friends house for the first time as a kid, my honeymoon, basic training (I had to hide it behind the three drawers in my wall locker), I had it in the field in the army, and when i traveled at my last assignment, it was a first item packed. this pillow has served me well for 22 years, I have an attachment to it as it reminds me of my childhood. To give you a little insight, this thing is ragged.... it probably has 1/4 of the feathers left in it, it has been ripped several times, to which I gladly stitched the wounds, it has more scars than Frankenstein. It got so bad that i had to "double bag" it with two pillow cases, then a third for good measure... this morning when i adjusted my pillow, she gave way to the 22 years of abuse and tore completely in two... I contemplated collecting the feathers back up and attempting to "put humpty back together again" but it's like the dog dying with cancer, just put the thing down... you are just delaying the inevitable... so here's to you my trusty friend, there will be no replacement for you, you are to me as the meteor was to Joe dirt... you will be missed... (for all you readers, I am dead serious)

Rough Day...

Today had to be up there with rough days I've had... as you know, I am not a fan of the doctor's thus avoid it altogether... today I was at work (The Pentagon) and having a discussion with my boss... and all of a sudden my vision went blank, my chest felt like it was caving in and my limbs started going numb... my boss "quickly" sprang into a panic running around saying "JONATHAN'S HAVING A HEART ATTACK!!! JONATHAN'S HAVING A HEART ATTACK!!!" I was rushed to the pentagon triage center and about 5 people ran in there with me... my shirt was being ripped off, they were attaching EKG pads to me and administering oxygen... I was a little scared, as I had just told Bobby my fear of going to the doctor's.... long story short, they found out I have a case of severe bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection... they made me go home and I had to meet with my personal provider... I met "Dr. V" and gave them the lowdown... I called Bobby, to see if he would go with me... but he couldn't go... so I was stuck to face it alone, actually, Brittany kept me company via text... thanks for that. they did a full work up on me. it started with sticking my finger, not a fan. then chest x-ray, I could handle that one... then the biggest turn-off a blood test... almost passed out, not to mention she had to do it twice... you know I fired her up (that was for you Jenna). my blood work won't be back for a week, however she used the finger stick to see if i was diabetic or not and I am on the line... on the not diabetic side... but i was warned that i a teetering... I have to go back next week so if anyone wants to witness JB in the scared outta his mind mode, volunteer to be my chaperon... I picked up the baby and headed down to King George to visit with my folks and the Garmans, as they are leaving for Iceland soon... a bittersweet event for me... I won't get into the rest of what made my day bad, but i will say this... please pray for Sydney and her new living situation...

In Retort to Jadey's comment

first of all, there is no such thing as "Bad 80's music reference"... that isn't even a possibility... Although relatively young in the 80's, I have a phenomenal memory... this morning I woke up singing the Rick Astley classic "never gonna give you up"... Yesterday, it was Huey Lewis and the News' "Hip to be square"... but my all time, number one 80's song, that i will have played at my next wedding, "Nothing's gonna stop us now" by Starship... What a classic and it was good in mannequin... I go through phases where I will get hung up on a decade and be in love with it... all through high school it was the 70's... Bell bottom pants, super tight t-shirts (Before I started looking like a man) platform shoes, leisure suits, bush hair-do... it was ridiculous to say the least, but everyone knew me for it... granted I never lived in the 70's so all I had to go off of was what i had seen in movies (like Car Wash, the inspiration for most of my get-ups). I was around in the 80's and do remember a lot of stuff from it... like the see through phones so you could see the circuit boards and stuff (you can't find those anywhere, I have looked), the speak & spell, joy of painting with Bob Ross, Lazer tag, Nintendo (when it was just Nintendo or nes) ninja turtles, and a plethora of other stuff... I'll have to let jadey tell you the story of me dancing to Paula Abdul's "opposites attract" in the office when my boss shows up... Embarrassing.... here's to the 80's, when all the good bands were named after a continent (Asia, Europe), and neon colors weren't just for the highway clean up guys!!!

Super Supper Club... and Chicken Point

Last night I had the distinct honor of participating in Super Supper Club... known as SSC. This event is hosted by Stafford's very own, Jason Pelt. I got to have the honor of being in the presence of such fine gentlemen Joshua Lopez and Damian Barnette. I was also allowed the honor of feeding baby Jillian, I really miss that with my daughter. upon completion of the meal, we ventured out, roughly a half mile to what we only were told was "Chicken Point"... Jackson was insistent that we were heading to Aquia Landing, however, our tour guide quickly ruled that out... Just off the road, there is a civil war marker where the confederacy had set up artillery and they would rain down fire and brimstone on the union navy. really neat history lesson, and it would be a cool date, in the fall... honestly.

My Instinct told me...

So I got my instinct last night... I gotta say, I'm excited. this morning on the ride to work I watched a few MTV videos, the Colbert Report, and listened to some music. The thing I can't stand is the whole "Instinct is better than iPhone" or "iPhone is better than Instinct"... bottom line... Both phones are great, it depends on what you want. iPhone has a much better browser, possibly easier to use, and what else it has i don't really know... I haven't researched it all the way... Instinct has a couple of things iPhone does not: Speech to action: In short I can bring up this function and say a name of a place and it will give me the phone number, address and GPS turn-by-turn directions. The web browser is OK, it serves its purpose... I usually surf the internet on my computer, not my 3" screen on my phone. As with all great things, there are give and take... I would rather have the fuctionality of the Instinct simply because it fits my needs... I have text, calling, video, pictures, web, GPS, calendar, and a plethora of other features... my favorite so far is the "Movies" button... with this you can touch "playing near you" and it will bring up a list of all the movies playing around you... select the movie and it will tell you what theatre it is playing at, give you the phone number and turn-by-turn directions through GPS, the times that it is playing, movie synopsis, it will even allow you to purchase tickets right over the phone by pushing two buttons... that's impressive... all in all, I have sold many people on the phone, Damian, and my MOM to name a few. the other thing I like about it is the plan. the plan is $99 a month and that is unlimited everything, text, calling, data, GPS. Check the phone out... it sells itself... It is not an iPhone competitor, they are two different phones all together. here is the website: www.nowisgood.com

I'm not all fists of rage...

I am all about firing up some one for bad service, but I love to share accolades for good service as well... As an employee, I know that positive feed back usually paints your performance in a great light that usually helps said employee gain notoriety or "Street cred" for all my Woodbridge readers... If you are ever really happy with your service, please take time to find out who the manager/boss is so you can report that to them... why not? if you had a complaint, you would.... here is the e-mail I sent the young ladys boss that helped me yesterday at sprint...

"Mr. XXX,

I must say that I had the pleasure of dealing with the best Customer Care Representative that I have ever dealt with since having service with Sprint. Her name was XXX, and please let me tell you, there has never been a time where I have ever felt so much care and concern with a Customer Care person as I did with her. Not only was she helpful with resolving my issues, but she was extremely knowledgeable in her job as well... I was truly a joy to deal with such a professional and her attitude and demeanor is a contributing factor as to why I have decided to continue service with Sprint. Please send her my warmest regards as an appreciative and extremely satisfied customer... If possible, I would like to work with her in the future, I'm not sure if you support "direct lines" but if so may I please have hers, with her kind of attitude, I would gladly wait on hold...."

Coming soon to a Jonathan Burke near you...

I have had sprint service for several years now... I have recently purchased the HTC Touch, which is an OK phone, I have had trouble with getting text and voice messages... when I called Sprint to tell them that I was interested in cancelling my service, they immediately sent me to "Customer Retention". I have dealt with "those people" before, and they are always trying to retain you, at a cost to you... They offer you a phone "upgrade" and with that comes the upgrade fee, ETC. well this time I won sprint over with my expert "lawyering". after explaining everything to them, they saw it my way, so now, they have decided to take care of the customer. This should be in the mail and on it's way... I am turning into Jason Pelt a little more each day...

Serving in the Army has it's benefits...

I have done it... I have sent my application to VA to get paid by the GI Bill. With all my friends going away to college, I figured I would go ahead a buckle down that chapter of my life as well. The beauty of paying for the GI Bill is this... when I first joined the Army, we were asked if we wanted to pay for the GI Bill, $100 a month for 12 months... Some turned it down, but if you think of it, I was 18, single and owed no one, plus being in Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for the majority of that year, it's not like you are gonna be out needing to spend money. best investment of my life... now they are gonna pay me $1321 a month for up to 36 months ($1321 a month + 36 months = $47,556) pretty good return on an investment... So I'm going to Full Sail University and majoring in Entertainment Business. The tentative plan is to accomplish this degree and apply for law school. I have been told by a friend (can't really recall the name) that if I am to become a Virginia BAR certified attorney, that I will be allowed to practice law with him... lofty goals I know... but listen to Peltcast #2 for inspiration. You may ask what does Entertainment Business and Law have to do with each other... three words... Contracts, Trademark and Copyrights... I don't plan on practicing entertainment law, but could if I wanted, I will more than likely want to practice family law. we shall see... let me get the degree first...

Enjoy the time you have with your friends...

Yesterday was a great... even though I have been running like a mad man, I am trying to make time to enjoy the company of fine people. Yesterday, before Bible Study, I had the privilege of having Keilan over for dinner, we had great steak, salad and we drank naked... It doesn't get better than that... I know that I will undoubtedly be sad with his departure this September, but He's only going to Richmond, not Guantanamo Bay or anything. I am trying to have meaningful relationships with those I call friends and in doing so, I want to start inviting people over for dinner before bible study so we can enjoy each other's company, so far I have done, Bobby-O, Keilan, Kevin B, and there are a ton others I have yet to invite. I like cooking for my friends and truly enjoy their company, I can't invite everyone at once, so I will get to you as soon as I can... with that I make this public invite... Ben Cartwright, what are you doing next Monday night?

Bobby and I... Here's what my house is like

So bobby-o and I worked on some music together and this is the unprofessional recording as noted... but it's fun to work with someone who's fun to be around... http://bobby0.wordpress.com/audio-rants/#comment-85

Advanced Learning

when I was two... in 1985, there was no such thing as a laptop... but I know all the oldies in the crowd remember THIS. If you had one of those, that was about as close to a laptop as you could get... It is just astonishing how much more kids know now than we did growing up... Noah is 6 and he has his own blog for crying out loud... this is just madness.... technology is taking over.

Mandating the Man-Date...

Usually Mandates are something I avoid... I like to have my freedom... but I'm not talking about those kind of mandates... A Man-date is when a group of guy friends get together and hang out, outside of the confines of one's house, thus making it a "Man-Date"... Last night and early on into this morning Keilan, Todd and I participated in such an event... We saw the New Batman movie, The Dark Night... overall, it was just what you want a Batman movie to be, dark and cold... where the villains really give the impression that they are psychotic, it was not the mid-90's blunder with neon lights... this movie was set apart from all the others... the Joker... BY FAR THE BEST BATMAN VILLAIN OF ALL TIMES!!! I highly encourage you to take this one in... if your spouse or kids won't go... Man-Date it!!!

Madame Mix-A-Lot

Sydney trying her hand at the sound board...

Commenting on blogs...

I am undertaking a challenge... to comment on every one's blog at least twice a week... I know how discouraging it can be to type something that really means something to you... only to get no reply. I will say, just because no one comments, that doesn't mean no one reads. I had the privilege of being the first person to leave a comment on Keilan's blog... The Keilan Report Regardless of what Kevin says... (Check the time stamp).... a new blogger added to the fold... will the madness stop?

What to write about...

The past few days have kinda been a blur... I have been getting up, going to work and coming home with the thought of cleaning up, doing laundry, picking up my dry cleaning for the past 4 days (You should see the terrible outfit I had to wear today due to not getting my clothes out of hock at the dry cleaners), or just resting and relaxing... those hopes and dreams are shattered daily by my desire to spend time with my friends... I know my time with them is limited, Bobby is going to college, Keilan is going to Richmond... soon enough these friends I love will be out in the world doing their own thing and I will have but the memories of good times had with them. I have grown in so many aspects by their influence and wish them the best...

Feat of strength...

Some of you may know this and some not... This is one of those random recolections from my life... My Brother, Joshua S. Burke, can tear a telephone book in half... I mean like a yellow pages book, not the church directory... amazing.

Let's get with the times (a typical old school rant)

there is truth behind fashion trending... it is an ever changing beast. I work in corporate America where a stylish cat just can't get a break... The women love it, people your age applaud your bravery and the old men look down on you in disgust... Typical. While for women fashion is an up and down roller coaster bi-seasonally, for men there is usually a ramp up, and then something stays fashionable for a good 4-5 years. given the life of suits is usually about 6-8 years, you can be reasonably in fashion and be a "Classic Gent." A few rules to follow and you'll be the best dressed cat where ever you go... I have devoted a few years of my free time to learning some of this and I'd like to share it with you now: 1) there are several colors of suits, don't restrict yours to black and navy blue. fight the urge to find "Year round suits". if you have three for each season, you'll be able to rotate your style and not wear the suit out as fast. 2) GET A TAILOR!!! why is everyone obsessed with buying something off the rack? Your body I can assure you is not the same as the factory settings. get a suit that fits you right and you'll love the way you look and feel. 3) brown shoes go with everything (but a black suit)... honestly, in the summertime when it is 100+ outside, do you want to be standing in the slug lot with shoes as black as the asphalt your standing on? 4) socks should match your suit, not your shoes. 5) if you live in the south, and yes Virginia is considered the south, don't wear socks in the summer time... you may contend that sounds silly, it's not. 6) DO NOT BUTTON THE BOTTOM BUTTON ON YOUR JACKET!!! unless you are in the military, that is a terrible rookie mistake. 7) if you insist on having more than a two-button jacket, get no more than three. 8) since i'm on jackets here are two things that are imperative : a) make sure the jacket has a vent in the back and b) wear a clean white pocket square, square being the term. 9) have your shirts altered to fit you, you don't want to look like your wearing a trash bag with a collar. and 10) Learn new ways to tie a neck-tie and make sure they are on the slim side.

In closing I will say this... you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to look good, as a matter of fact, GQ (gentlemen's quarterly) has tons of great ideas and thoughts. I have a ton of sources for people looking for everything from shoes to hats to bow ties to a tailor... please shout if you need some help in the style department. I've attached a link so you can see... I actually own the suit from target that is listed here... Target is probably one of the best stores on the face of the earth... http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6771

An ode to PCG!!! (and family of course)

I have been going to church for 25 years... I have seen and heard a lot of things across the spectrum... everything from lying to God's name Being praised... and all that are in between. some practical applications that I have learned in church have been: Everything comes by way of a vote. some of these votes are great and some... not so much. for example, at some point (had to be the 80's) there was not only a proposal, but an actual passed vote to install Starlight Blue carpet in the sanctuary... that falls in the category of "not so much". but I'm drawn back to a vote that I remember being a senior in high school, sitting in the gym after a discipleship now youth function and the proposal... add a one Colby J. Garman as our youth pastor. I distinctly remember how fast the unanimous, and by that I mean 100%, vote came back to do just that. One of Stafford Baptist's finer moments in life. The addition of this dynamic young man I would dare say has effected the lives of so many people, probably in the thousands, in such a way that you leave his presence feeling encouraged and refreshed. Not only have I had the privilege to call Colby my pastor over the past years, but I have had the distinct honor of calling him "friend". Colby has helped me through a lot in this past year, my divorce, my attitude, and things unseen by but a few eyes. He has never backed down in his stance on the gospel and his fingerprints are all over the lives of several effective young people of Stafford baptist church. Colby has been a mentor and role model second to none in the time I've known him. I would like to take this time to publicly announce that Colby J. Garman and his lovely wife, Annie are two of the greatest people that anyone could know. My love and prayers go out to you as you impact Iceland the way you have impacted Stafford Baptist Church, and me.

Are we making light of God's goodness?

***WARNING!!! THIS BLOG REQUIRES POSTING!*** For the past few days, I have really been struggling with what seems to be plaguing everyone... Discontent. I am specifically speaking about my job... I must say, not in any bragging form, that I am probably one of the best paid people for what I do and probably make more than most people with a Degree my age... Yet I find myself in a constant place of discontentment. Always complaining about where I work, who I work with, etc. The more I think of it, I hear people complaining all the time about where they work, their house, fill in the blank... we complain about everything, or at least I do. The fact of the matter is that God has blessed me with so much and I constantly take it for granted, furthermore, I think I do his goodness an "injustice" by being discontent. you can post to this blog in as little as one word... Yes or no. You can also post as much as you want, but this is the Bottom line question, do we do God's greatness an injustice by having an attitude of discontentment?

I could have sworn this was yesterday...

a tribute to the old days...

The efficiency of the Internet

I'm a big fan of nostalgic stuff... I still shave with mug soap, brush and "Safety razor", I like wearing a suit, and hats with those suits, I really like listening to old radio programs (like Six Shooter, Superman, and The Whistler). I guess in my mind it's like 1948... The thing that astounds me most is the Internet... It has morphed our culture so much that there are now things you actually can't do without it. When the Internet first came about only a select few technical gurus could operate it. Then the World Wide Web (WWW) hit the street and made it a little more user friendly... you could do some basic research and read certain postings. now there isn't too much you can't do without it. Your reading this blog, Because of the Internet... I paid my bills today, on the Internet... I signed up for school so I can get my Bachelors Degree, You guessed it, on the Internet... I even ORDERED A PIZZA for dinner tonight, I didn't call it in, I ordered it... ON THE INTERNET. Yes the Internet is truly a great tool, but it comes with a price, besides your monthly bill. You are constantly "Connected" to everything and everyone at all times. they even have little green bubbles by your name to let people know you are online. a healthy balance of this to can give a dynamic to your relationships, business, and life, but don't let it's joys consume you, before you become a basement dwelling stunt double for Michael Moore.