It is generally considered to be among the Top 10 Greatest Albums in the rock and roll era, probably Dylan's best work, and a landmark in folk rock.US Highway 61 travels from New Orleans through Memphis to Canada, and Dylan used it as a metaphor for American life. According to critic Robert Shelton, "...as a teenager, Dylan had travelled that way on radio. ... Highway 61 became, I think, to him a symbol of freedom, a symbol of movement, a symbol of independence and a chance to get away from a life he didn't want." Though firmly "folk rock", the album has a very bluesy feel.
The album begins with "Like A Rolling Stone", one of rock's greatest records. Absolute perfection, musically and lyrically. Dylan's only #1 hit, few records in the past 50 years can compare in terms of sheer excellence (the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and maybe a Beatles single or two, not much else). The song blew away John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and influenced scores of other musicians, including Michael Nesmith, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Frank Zappa.
The album continues with one great song after another, such as "Tombstone Blues", "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry", "Ballad of a Thin Man", and the title track, before finishing with the astonishing "Desolation Row", one of the most ambitious songs ever written, a bleak and bizarre vision of America.
Highway 61 Revisited is a work that should be heard repeatedly by music lovers everywhere. It's one of my personal favorites; I often listen to it in the car during a long drive. I commend it to one and all as one of the best works by the best American songwriter who ever lived.
Neither official stepped up prior to the storm or in its immediate aftermath; both are complete failures as leaders whose errors cost lives and billions of dollars in damage. Nagin, demonstrating his complete lack of leadership integrity, has spent a good part of the last year blaming others (the state, the Feds, whomever else seems convenient at the moment) for his mistakes, sometimes using racist tones. Horrible stuff. It was the job of Nagin and Blanco to evacuate and then to oversee relief and rebuilding; judging by the trash still evident in New Orleans, the fact that half the population of the city hasn't returned, and that the city is in general disarray, these two people should retire.
For the McIlwain family, this also means beginning again our family devotional routine. This year, we're using a lectionary-based devotional book.
But who cares?
The demented Dr. Gregory House is, like Shore and his law partner Denny Crane (played by the legendary William Shatner), among the most bizarre TV characters in many years, and Laurie has been outstanding in a role that would be easy to overwork. Yet, despite the fact that House is nominated for Best Drama, Laurie was forgotten.
The United Methodist Council of Bishops have asked every United Methodist congregation to take up a special offering this Sunday to benefit the 
But FDR was incorrect.
But what is equally true is that God is so far "above" us, existentially, that we have no right to speak his name, much less approach him in prayer. We certainly have no right to actually expect him to do things on our behalf.
That said, I believe both men to be honest men of personal integrity. No evidence has been presented to even suggest anything else.
But today it seems to me that, while the GOP obviously has some issues, the Democrat Party is in even bigger trouble.
This will possibly split the Democrat vote and allow the GOP to pick up a seat in the Senate.
Pete Best was the drummer for the Beatles in their early, formative years, while they were playing in the Cavern in Liverpool and playing 8 hour sets, 7 days a week in Hamburg, Germany. He was fired by the band and their manager Brian Epstein in 1962, when they were signed to a recording contract. The far more inventive Ringo Starr was his replacement. Pete Best labored in obscurity while the Beatles went on to worldwide stardom and acclaim.
It's a beautiful amusement park and an excellent place for families to spend a day. We took Christian and Kate when they were just wee McIlwains, but this will be the first trip for Claire and Elliot.
There, in the summer of 1988, I played a dual role of Muffin the Dog in a walking puppet show and Captain Candy on the Good Ship Lollipop. A heatwave that summer made it pretty miserable at times. The highlight, I suppose, was that I dated Goldilocks. Everything you've heard about her is true.
He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35, NRSV)
Some time later, when consulted about theological concerns over her church and her program, Shamblin famously said, "People don't care about the Trinity; they just want to lose weight." (Incidentally, she still denies the Doctrine of the Trinity on her website!) So...Shamblin's program can result in weight loss, but is still not perfect!
C.S. Lewis portayed Jesus as a lion, but reminded us also that he is not a tame lion. Jesus calls for a complete rejection of "self". Our old ideas need to be tossed out in favor of Jesus' radical call. The Church needs to spend more time with Jesus, more time contemplating and acting upon the demands that faithfulness entails, more time in deep prayer and confession of sins, more time seeking the face of Jesus in our neighbors and in "the least of these" in our midst.
