Allman Brothers Personnel Through the Years

 Original Lineup (1969-1971)

Duane Allman: guitars, vocals (d. 10/29/71)

Gregory Allman: keyboards, vocals (d. 5/27/2017)

Berry Oakley: bass guitar, vocals (d. 11/11/1972)

Richard Betts: guitars, vocals (left band in 2000)

Jai Johanny Johanson: drums, percussion

Butch Trucks: drums, percussion (d. 1/24/2017)

 Replacement Musicians

Charles Leavell: piano, keyboards (joined 9/1972)

Lamar Williams: bass guitar (joined 1972)

Daniel Toler: guitar (joined 1978)

David Goldflies: bass guitar (joined 1978)

David (Frankie) Toler: drums (joined c. 1980)

Warren Haynes: guitars (joined 1989)

Johnny Neel: piano (joined 1989)

Douglas Allen Woody: bass guitar (joined 1989)

Marc Quinones: percussion (joined 1990)

Oteil Burbridge: bass guitar (joined 1997)

Jack Pearson: guitar (joined 1997)

Derek Trucks: guitars (joined 1999)

 Comment

Listening to records of their music may inspire.

Film Art

 A basic thing to be apprehended about film is its potential to reach you, mind and heart, grip you and hold you for extended time in state of discovery and wonder.  You might become enrapt, still, at attention, as you anticipate the movement of the visual story.  Film may foster thoughts and emotions as it plays out, that have big meaning for the viewer/observer.  Film may inspire.

The 2016 movie, 'Paterson,' by Jim Jarmusch, inspired above thoughts.  As I watched final scene, the actor at still point on bench, opposite Great Falls of Passaic River, in between loss, sorrow and question/wonder of possible renewal, restart of his poetic vocation, the words 'beauty' and 'beautiful' came to mind.  One, seeing a film, may contemplate beauty in context of film's images and words and find aesthetic experience reborn in self.  

Another Dream of Mom

 I woke this morning crying, with this dream fresh in mind.  

I was walking on sidewalk and found an item, a clear plastic case, about 4 in. h x 2.5 in. w, with hinged lid.  I could see a couple dollar bills and other things inside.  On side of lid, was a paper strip taped in place with name "Etta Marie Rizzuto" and little ink-drawn designs around the name, geometric shapes (like my Mom used to doodle while she was talking on phone).  I looked to left and saw through large plate-glass window, some older women getting their hair done, a beauty salon.  I realized I was at intersection of Central Ave./S. Essex/Jackson, Orange, heading home (375 Highland Ave.).  When I saw the name, I was astonished and thought, I'll bring this home to Mom, she'll be pleased.  As I got closer to home, I realized my Mom was dead, recently passed, and instantly I was in large room with many people.  A nearby man, a stranger, looked at me and I explained to him my surprising find as tears started to come from my eyes.  He didn't seem to understand, but as I finished explaining, he started to cry too.  I immediately gathered myself and started to calm him, motioning with my hands.  Dream ends.

The mind and heart are interconnected and mourning occurs after loss.     

Identity of God

 God is border-guard between nothing and creation.  In front of God is all creation, the cosmos.  Behind God is nothingness, zero.  (This is part of  human conception of the Deity.)  From nothing to something requires intelligence, logos.  If zero is real number, then nothing is real concept.  Yet nothing as absence, is impossible.  Nothing can be imagined or thought, but not brought into being.  To eliminate everything, including Himself, would be greatest accomplishment.  Perhaps one could imagine God in parenthetical, dormant state while nothing reigns.

        

{steps to nothingness}

Day By Day

 'Day by Day' is mantra or motto to live by, each day of life.  It means take each day as it comes, morning to night & think about only that day, excluding thought of yesterday or tomorrow, as much as possible.  There is a saying, from Jesus of Nazareth, 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  (Mt 6:34 NIV)

There is a song from stage-play, 'Godspell.'  It's called 'Day by Day.'  Here are lyrics:

Day by day

Day by day

Oh Dear Lord

Three things I pray

To see thee more clearly

Love thee more dearly

Follow thee more nearly

Day by day

This song was radio hit in 1972. It has nice tune and may be easily hummed or silently sung.  The challenge of today - live with faith, hope and love; God.

        

A Dream

 I dreamed a short dream last night, Monday night, 10/18/21.  I was driving on highway in right lane when I passed a white car parked on shoulder.  People were walking along other side of car toward a restaurant.  I saw one person had got out of white car and started walking & as I looked at her in rearview mirror, I recognized her coat and realized she was my mother. I pulled into parking lot and waited.  When she got close, I asked my Mom, what are you doing here?  I don't know her answer, but then I said, "I'll move your car into the lot."  I realized the other people weren't with my Mom.  At first, I thought they were all together.  They just happened to be going to same place.  That's it, the end.     

The Historical Jesus

 Jesus was an actual man, Jewish male, who lived in early first century Palestine and died by crucifixion around 30 A.D.  The main sources for finding out about Jesus are the four gospels of the NT, other NT writings and some early extra-biblical works such as the Gospel of Thomas.  There are notices of Jesus and the primitive Christian movement in Roman writers of the time (including first century Jewish historian, Josephus).  These witnesses are questioned and analyzed by scholars in quest for the historical Jesus.  The 'historical Jesus' is a concept and research method aimed at providing a true and reliable portrait of Jesus, a word-picture that is scientific, not religious or faith-based.  

Jesus, teacher and miracle worker, and disciples, started a movement that turned into a world-wide religion.  This happened, the historian can say,  because of the spiritual power and charisma of Jesus, which was transferred into the message about him carried by ardent followers like St. Paul.  The Hellenistic world taken over by Rome was permeated by religious and philosophic currents (see Hans-Josef Klauck, The Religious Context of Early Christianity tr. Brian McNeil (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003).  Nascent Christianity flourished in that environment.    

Since the eighteenth century Enlightenment, thinkers and historians try to uncover the base of Jesus' power and the gospel and disclose its truth or falsehood.  Philosophical doctrines of rationality and empiricism underlie theories of knowledge that enter into post-enlightenment historical investigation.  The sources for reconstructing facts about Jesus are full of talk of God, the Devil, demons and angels.  Jesus is said to have performed miracles of healing and exerted effortless power over forces of nature.  Such talk or information would mostly be ruled out in modern historiography.  Since the 1700s, many, many books have been authored on Jesus and conclusions reached range from total skepticism, i.e., Jesus Christ did not exist, to historical portraits mostly supportive of  the gospel gestalt.  An excellent guide to historical study of Jesus is Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906, 1911).

Looking at Jesus of Nazareth historically, one should also look at self.  Do I believe in God?  Am I Christian?  What is my view on religion(s) generally?  What sort of scientist am I or how scientific am I?  Is the universe, on principle, understood without recourse to religion?  Considering all that is unknown in the world, is it conceivable that it is all in principle, intelligible to human mind? What is the problem with cancer, why can't it be eliminated?  Why are there bacteria and viruses inimical to large life-forms on Earth? How may quantum theory and relativity theory be unified?  Why and whence, evil, why isn't it all good?  Myriad questions pop up and so we explore, looking for answers.  Will it always be so?  Do we have need for a kingdom of God? 

Gospel of Mark 1: 14-15

 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”   

The truth of what happened; the historian tries to get there.  That search is worthwhile.  With Jesus of Nazareth as subject, there is no way out.  A time-machine is required.