The Last Ever Post of the Oddblog...

Now, don't get all too excited... We're just upgrading... to ODDBLOG 2.0!


But, in fact, there's not a lot new or different going on; in fact we've tried to keep it all pretty much the same. So, us calling it the Oddblog 2.0 is sort of like saying we got a new car when really all we did is park it in a different garage.


So, that said, here's the new address of the blog:

http://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog

And here's the url for our new feed, those of you peering in from your favorite reader:

http://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/feed/

And for those even more paranoid, the whole past of the blog is parked over there now too, as well as all the stats on visitors, comments, etc. It all made it, and the migration was relatively painless, in fact.


Again, welcome, and let's hope we all enjoy the new parking spot!

Goodbye, at least for now, Blogger ol' pal, it's been fun!

Advent Conspiracy

adventconspiracy.org

Gol Dern Kids! Dagnabbit!

Shannon today snapped this pic of what happens when one lets Halloween linger just a little too long.  He sent it to Orin with the following caption:

"Get off my lawn!"

Perhaps that's a reference to this pic that's been meandering around the internet lately?

Monk Fight

As aptly described by Orin's friend Christian C:

Monk fight! MONK FIGHT! Check out the video footage, too: an Armenian monk in full ceremonial garb sucker-punches a Greek Orthodox monk, and later makes a flying leap into the security team trying to break up the fight.

There's nothing quite like violence to emphasize Christ's message of agape and caritas.

For the full story and video, click here.

Honestly, I'm not sure it was the keytar either

Sorry for the fews days without posts - a busy weekend, an annoying head cold...  well, you understand.

Thanks to Erin B who brought the pictured hot keytar-related item to our attention.  I (Orin) will be sure to wear it next time I'm stuck in the bathtub.  (That's an inside joke, that bathtub bit there.)

Be Diverse!

The Catholic YM Blog has put up an interview with Shannon as its latest podcast: 

For Shannon, we need to be able to recognize the many diverse settings “where young people are already involved.” But, we also need to be multi-faceted in our approaches and appeals to young people.

Take a listen!

VOTE!

Now!  Right now!  (Unless you already did.)

Or are driving a car.  (but then, how are you reading this blog at the same time?)

VOTE!

All Souls' Day

The Shrine (where Orin is music and liturgy director) celebrates All Souls' Day:

A display of 20,000 roses in the church - each placed there by a member of the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate to remember a deceased loved one

Following the last mass of the morning, a procession to the Resurrection Garden where the names of those 20,000 were placed in a prayer capsule for the upcoming year.

Madeleine is 4!! (and...ur...um...16 days)

So, if you hang out with us regularly, you probably know that my daughter, Madeleine, celebrated her fourth birthday on October 16th. There was nothing, however, posted on the blog about it, and for that I'm really sorry. My wife pointed out the ommission to me yesterday. For all the pointless stuff we put up on this blog, I shouln't have missed this.

My little girl is awesome, outgoing (maybe more than me), smart, funny, creative, and full of life. I truly can't imagine life without her (nor the rest of my family for that matter). She makes my life so much brighter.

Here, for your enjoyment, is a recent conversation she had with a parent and fellow classmate from pre-school:

Adult (to the other kid): What does your dad do for a living?

Other Kid: My dad drives a truck

Adult (to Madeleine): And what does your dad do for a living?

Madeleine (almost with a shrug): Oh, my dad works with Jesus.

Happy Birthday Madeleine!!

-Shannon

All Hallows' Eve

The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Even (both "even" and "eve" are abbreviations of "evening," but "Halloween" gets its "n" from "even") as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day," which is now also known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.

(Yay Wikipedia!)

Ewe Arrrgh Takes the No-Prize!

(For the back story, check a few posts further down...)

More saints per second than... Well, we're not sure actually...

In Honor of All Saints Day coming up Saturday, here's a little Gilbert and Sullivan spoof that Orin's friend David brought to our attention:

A BLT Story

Shannon, when not Oddwalking, is also a parish youth minister.  One of his successful programs with the teens there is "Prayer, Praise, and _______" -- this is a program where they all gather for (you guessed it) prayer, singing praise, and some food item, a different one each time.

One of the teens, Kitty, shot this quick video about the making of the last meeting's food item, a BLT sandwich.  Enjoy!

Fredbird!

Fredbird dropped by the Sts. Joachim and Anne Care Services Fundraiser, this past Saturday, October 27, 2008.  Oddwalk played at the event for a little over an hour, and in the middle of the set, Fredbird showed up to entertain the crowd and sign autographs.  In the video below, we introduce him and sing the old favorite "The Cubs Song."

Very Punny

In response to the "What's Missing?" Contest (see the post just below this one), Orin submitted the following entry:

Hey, did you hear about the young pirate sheep that’s apparently gone missing? He was well known because instead of bleating he would make pirate noises (even when it wasn’t International Talk Like a Pirate Day). In fact, he earned a nickname because of one of his more usual buccaneer outbursts.

So, anyway, there are posters all over town now, with his picture and this sad, sad phrase:

“Who’s missing? Ewe Arrrrgh!”

"What's Missing" Contest

A friend of ours is having a contest over at his Youth Ministry Blog:

If you are a regular reader of the blog or a recipient of my e-newsletter earlier this month, you might remember this post that played on the whole "Ch _ _ ch: What’s missing?" devise.

If so, I am sure you will appreciate how funny I found this picture from a local booze merchant.

Which leads us to a contest….. What other two words can be used to still get the "…: what’s missing? U R" effect.

Comment away. I’ll declare a winner on Halloween morning. I’m completely unsure what the prize will be, but you should probably be in it for the honor of being the first www.catholicYMblog.com contest award winner, anyway!

So, head over there and leave your entries in his (i.e. not our) comments!

"Walk Away Different" Reviewed

Published just a few days ago at gvonline.net -

Reviewed by Sally Bolderson

Shannon Cerneka and Orin Johnson are the duo that bring to life "Oddwalk Ministries", who are represented by GIA Publications, Inc. Their purpose is "to help young and old alike embrace life as Eucharistic people through fun, upbeat and interactive music and witnessing." Rooted in the Midwest in Illinois and Missouri, you will find them leading retreats and workshops as well as entertaining at concerts and coffee houses.

On Walk Away Different, their 4th CD together, they bring to light a more intimate depth of their relationship with God. In previous projects they have leaned more to the songs that would appeal to a younger audience with fun and frivolity. On Walk Away Different I get a sense of their reaching out to a broader audience with messages that could speak to young and old. There is a great variety here with songs of hope, pleading and challenge among the 16 tracks of this record. You will find upbeat pieces that will have you tapping your toes and then in another moment, contemplating your walk of faith with a soft, meditative song that will touch your heart.

The various adaptations of popular psalms are always welcome and are represented well on this CD. As a liturgical music minister, I can appreciate having options when it comes to the sung psalms and find their renditions of six well known psalms to be very congregational friendly. I will surely use them in my own parish setting. I found the vocals to be very good and the addition of Sarah Bauer on many of the tracks is wonderful. Her sweet yet strong vocals add depth to these selections. Being a fan of harmony, I was very pleased to hear very nice harmonies throughout Walk Away Different.

As I listened to the CD I heard overtones of other very successful liturgical writers such as the St. Louis Jesuits, David Haas and Marty Haugen.

My favorites vary as much as the selection of songs on this CD. I found myself straying away a time or two from my listening through the first several tracks until I came to "Get It Together." Once I heard that song, I could feel the passion and energy that would be typical of a live performance with this duo. Unlike the first 6 songs that were nice enough, but also forgetful, "Get It Together" stood out and got my attention. Likewise was the song "I Give My Spirit" which I found to be a haunting and extremely powerful rendition of Psalm 31. The deliberate tempo and strong vocals really drew me into this song, not to mention the theme that we all encounter so often . . . our brokenness and our pleas to God for help. Of note as well, is a great Eucharistic song, entitled "Share" which would work well in any congregation for a Communion song.

Overall, I found Walk Away Different to be full of great themes of our faith, admitting our weakness, understanding God as our Savior in the Trinity, challenging us to move to the Light, move where God wants us to be. I think there is something here for everybody with direct and to the point messages. I feel that this CD will make great strides in becoming a staple in any liturgical music minister's music library. The songs are simple and would be easily worked into your choir's music repertoire. You can purchase Walk Away Different through GIA Music at www.giamusic.com/products/P-725.cfm.

So, Apparently We're Running for President

We know, it was news to us too!

Watch the news report online here:

http://www.inews3.com/topstory.php?id=4f646477616c6b7c4d696e69737472696573

A Late Haiku Challenge Entry

A fan of the blog, Clay Imoo, Director of the Youth Ministry Office, Archdiocese of Vancouver, sent us this message today:

I was intrigued by your haiku challenge and thus wanted to send this to you. I made it with my sons a couple of years ago for a contest sponsored by the Vancouver Canucks hockey team:



Of course, he was too humble to add that they won that particular contest! Great job, guys!

Prayer Request

Friends, 

Please keep a friend of Orin's in prayer, Frank Quinn, OP.  Frank until recently was a prof at Aquinas Institute, and while Orin never had him formally in class, many of my friends did, and he helped a great deal on a couple projects of mine.  He was for many years a leading liturgical voice in America and the English-speaking world.

He is reportedly near death, please keep him and all who know and love him in prayer.  Thanks.

Cerneka, Party of Five

Hey Everyone,

Erin and I wanted to let you all know that we're expecting our third child around June 1st. We feel very blessed to have yet another addition to our family and ask all of you for your prayers during the pregnancy and beyond.

In case you're wondering how another Cerneka child will contribute to the greater good, consider that our other two children were born during years that the Cardinals went to the World Series. ('04, '06)

I have to say, I'm feeling pretty good about 2009!

See ya,
Shannon

NCCYM 2008 Promo Video

The NFCYM has also just posted a promotional video for the NCCYM (adult conference) this December in Cleveland.  Both members of Oddwalk (along with many of our friends of course) make brief appearances.  View the whole video at this page.

The music underscoring most of the video is a live performance at the last NCCYM by Matt Maher of "Your Grace is Enough."  In the middle of verse 1, just after "... keep us apart" we get an extreme closeup of Shannon's already slightly-larger-than-normal head.

Ironically, at "... all God's people sing along" one is able to view a brief action clip of a wigged-out Orin "Jammin' with Jesus."

Lots of other photos, clips, friends, music and such are featured in the quick video.  Check it out!

Congratulations Joia!

Oddwalk Friend Joia Farmer (wife of Brad, as in Brad and Gene of Apex Ministries) has co-written with Matt Miller the 2009 NCYC Theme Song!  Their version of Christ Reigns is featured in the 2009 NCYC promo video, posted here (sorry, we can't embed it).

Way to go!

Amazingly useful applications - free!

Because we know you just can't live without having either Oddwalk's home page or this blog open at any given instant of the day, and because you don't want to use a tab of your browser to do that, and because you're on a Mac, and because we recently discovered a pretty cool Mac app called Fluid, we've created these two applications for Macs, which when run, open the given page in a stand-alone app.  

Maybe it's worth it just to get the nifty Mac OS Oddwalk icon.

Oddwalk Homepage App

Oddwalk Oddblog App

See, we told you they were amazingly useful!  Well, at least they're free.  And they are applications, so we're at least half-right.  :-)

pOddcast: Bob Evans Restaurant

Shannon's dad wrote a tribute to a favorite restaurant of his, a Bob Evans in the West County suburbs of St. Louis.  The two of them, along with Orin, spent some time today recording it (with trusty old GarageBand on Orin's Mac) and we've put it on the pOddcast for all to enjoy - check for it in the gcast window in the Oddblog sidebar or over at the main site.

What's more, here are the lyrics, so you all can sing along!

I just fell in love with a restaurant!  That sounds a little crazy,  agree.

But I just couldn't help it - let me tell you what they did to me.

First there was the hostess with the smiling face,

That waitress Patio Pelt she was a wow!

And Mr. Michael Stroble applauded all his people,

Even had them all to take a bow!

Hey ma ma!  Oo pa pa!  Let the good times ring!

Come on children, jump right in, listen to your little tummy sing!

'Cause it's apple pie and chicken fried, almost anything you want!

Awesome food and a lotta grinnin' too: Bob Evans Restaurant!

If You're ever down around Valley Park, MO., at 44 and 141,

Remember what I told ya, just like me you're gonna fall in love.

I wish that I could be there just to see your face 

when you taste that very first bite,

And when you meet those people, those sweet, warm-hearted people,

You're gonna shout the rest of your life:

Hey ma ma! Oo pa pa! Let the good times ring!

Come on children, jump right in, listen to your little tummy sing!

'Cause it's apple pie and chicken fried, almost anything you want!

Awesome food and a lotta grinnin' too: Bob Evans Restaurant!

Yogi Bear is also a friend of mine

While we're on the topic of who are friends of ours, here's Mike Patin at the Shrine Youth Day leading folks in singing about his friend Yogi Bear:

Shrine Youth Day Pics

Here are a couple pics from the Shrine's Youth Day Celebration the end of September:

Orin, who was also singing in a choral concert Sunday, wore his tuxedo for a special performance of "Just Because You Can."

Mike Patin joins in a performance of "Jesus is My Friend" - coincidentally, our YouTube video of that song (a different performance) is now well over 5,500 views, and is being viewed more often than ever, now one view every 5.5 minutes...  Sheesh.

Orin's new favorite keytar action shot.

Notice how the pants are completely unripped.

For more photos, visit our facebook group page, where Erin B has uploaded a number of shots from the weekend.  Thanks to all Happy Shriney People for a great weekend!

A Monumental Photo

This summer, when Orin was in Washington DC with YNIA, one of the other staffers, Ralph Stewart, had Orin pose for this photo:

And again, don't forget to keep playing our Haiku Challenge V, just below!

100 years!

One of Orin's friends, Eric, lost a wager regarding the "success" of the Chicago Cubs this year in the playoffs.  (At least when Orin shaved his head, it was for a theological principle.)

In other news, don't forget to keep playing our Haiku Challenge V, just below!

Haiku Challenge V!

In honor of our "Jesus Is My Friend" cover video becoming our most watched video on YouTube, it's time for Haiku Challenge V!

We haven't done this in a while (here are rounds I, II, III , and IV)!

 The rules are simple:

A haiku is composed with three lines, of syllable-lengths 5-7-5. Add yours in the comments, below. Your haiku must begin with the last word of the one just before yours. You may play more than once, but not twice-in-a-row. Here's one to get us going.

Jesus is my friend.

He is likely your friend too.

Won't you tell us why?
.

The answer is: "They're both soon to be overtaken."

The question: What do this video and the Chicago Cubs have in common?

While the Cubs did indeed have the best record in the National League this year, we're all accustomed to their dramatic failings, breaking the hearts of Cubs fans around the world.  We predict this year will be no exception, even if it takes all seven games of the World Series.

This video of Shannon singing "The Cubs Song" (and Orin singing "Old Irish Blessing") has been our most viewed video on YouTube for quite some time (3,890 views as of this posting), about a year-and-a-half.  That run should come to an end sometime later today as our cover of "Jesus is My Friend" continues its startling pace of one view every six minues - and it's only been up for two weeks!

To celebrate the accomplishments of "Jesus is My Friend," visit here again tomorrow for a special Oddblog Event!

And, in honor of the playoffs beginning and such and things, here one more time is "The Cubs Song" (with "Old Irish Blessing" for dessert):

We may end up using this line

Another post thanks to Mike Patin! We had already noticed the comic strip Toothpaste for Dinner, mostly becuase of this keytar-themed panel:

Today Mike alerted us to this recent panel, below.  The band looks vaguely familiar, and we may have to start using that line at our appearances:

Mad Keytar Skills

Somehow this TV ad for Monday Night Football slipped past Orin's Keytar-Radar. Thanks to Mike Patin for the heads up!

Shana Tovah

Shana Tovah is Hebrew for "A good and sweet year" and is the usual greeting for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated by Jews tonight and Tuesday morning this year.

As I (Orin) was headed to Temple Shaare Emeth in suburban St. Louis to play at their early service tonight, I passed the small gift shop there and saw the above in the window - a plush play set of bread, wine, and a candle.  Blessings over these items are customary at prayer and meal times in Jewish traditions - and likely where some of our earliest Christian traditions come from, of course.

It was nice to see we still share some things in common.

---

The Jewish new year commemorates God's creating the heavens and the earth.  The Rabbi who delivered the sermon tonight told a version of this story as part of her reflections:

Once upon a time, as God created the world, He decided to make beings in His image. As he generated his own reflection in man and woman, the angels got word of the project, and were consumed with jealousy.

"How unfair!" they cried. "Those humans will have it all. They get to experience life on earth with all the perks: laughter, tears, ice cream, wasabi, softness, scratchiness. And as if that 'being alive' stuff weren't blessing enough, they get immortality as well!" (If God is eternal, so, too, would be anything made in God's image.)

The angels were furious; no being should merit both ice cream and infinity. If heavenly beings were denied earthly experiences, why allow humans celestial ones?

So, they plotted against the humans. They decided to hide God's image from them, and assembled to determine how it could be done. One angel suggested, "Let's hide it far up in the mountains; I hear humans don't like to shvitz much. They'll never climb that high."

Another disagreed: "That won't work. Those granola hippies God put on the West Coast will surely hike to the top of the mountains and discover it. Better we hide God's image far out in the sea. Most folks won't go farther than a cruise ship will take them."

Again, others dissented. They realized that any God-like being would eventually access the heights of heaven and the depths of the ocean.

Finally, a wise old angel made a brilliant suggestion: "Let us hide God's image between and within the humans. That will be the last place on earth they would think to look for it."

God let them.  And so it was.

"The Music That Unites Us"

Here's a flyer for an upcoming fundraising concert we're a part of - can you come join us?

Jesus Is Here

Following the end of Orin's set-up talk, Oddwalk and the band sing and pray "Jesus Is Here" at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Junior High Youth Day Celebration this past Saturday:

Best Line of the Night

So, Oddwalk played some songs around a campfire tonight, supporting a retreat group from McKendree University, where Orin's wife Erin works as a campus minister.  Following one of the songs, during some "small talk," one of the students said of us, "I wouldn't call this crap."

A more resounding affirmation has never been spoken.

One View Every Six Minutes

That's how frequently our "Jesus is My Friend" video (or find it below) is being seen over the last 9 or so days, by Orin's math.  Over 2,200 views as of this morning.

Insane.

Should you happen to have a YouTube account, could you head over there and rate our video as highly as you honestly can?  It's languishing at 2.5 stars right now, but we think we can do better...

PS - Here's Orin's favorite viewer comment so far (posted over at YouTube):

Not exactly a keytar

Orin's friend David introduced him to this quirky comic strip, and made sure he noticed today's panel (above).  For those wondering, those are Biff's eyebrows.  I don't know.

pOddcast - Old Irish Blessing (SATB)

New on the pOddcast - nothing Sonseed-y or keytar-y...  A recording of "Old Irish Blessing" - the SATB version (actually, the first version written), recorded at the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus Spring Gala 2008 by the SLCC Octet directed by Orin.

Listen especially for the sigh from Orin's wife shortly after "limping."

Find it in the Gcast window in the blog sidebar, or at the main site.

Mockolate?

MSNBC - Oh, milk chocolate. Wherefore art thou?

Apparently not in some Hershey’s products that contained milk chocolate for years, and that has passionate chocolate aficionados fighting mad.

Products such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have milk chocolate coatings, and Hershey’s Kissables are now labeled “chocolate candy” instead of “milk chocolate.”

What’s going on here? On Friday, TODAY consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman reported that Hershey’s has switched to less expensive ingredients in several of its products. In particular, cocoa butter — the ingredient famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture — has been replaced with vegetable oil.

The removal of cocoa butter violates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition of milk chocolate, so subtle changes have appeared on the labels of the Hershey’s products with altered recipes. Products once labeled “milk chocolate” now say “chocolate candy,” “made with chocolate” or “chocolatey.”

More here...

Another Convert

Apparently Ben Folds has hopped on the keytar bandwagon too (video).

What hath God wrought?

Another Accurate Pie Chart (this one in actual pie)

This was sent to us by our friend gene - we had trouble tracking down exactly the original source, but it bears a lot of resemblance to the image in this post from a while back...

"Jesus Is My Friend" Updates

1) Our video on YouTube (or see below) is already up to 820 views, by far the most rapidly-watched video we've ever posted!  (The original versions of the song by Sonseed, adding up all the various postings, are well over half-a-million!)

2) We're now featured, "below the fold" as they say in the newspaper biz, at JesusIsMyFriend.info - a one-stop site for all things "Jesus is My Friend" and Sonseed.  Lots of videos, ringtones...  Even the full original album available as a free download!  Did you need a Jesus Is My Friend Shirt?

---

UPDATE - Sunday afternoon (9/21), 3:22 - 1,139 views... My goodness, people must be bored...

---

Another update, been informed the shirts are no longer for sale... sorry, fashionistas!

Avast, me hearties!

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

dougsploitation.blogspot.com

The website that unleashed Sonseed and "Jesus is My Friend" upon the world has noticed our cover of the song posted on YouTube (see below).

So we thought we'd return a little linkage-love - dougsploitation.blogspot.com is a site that has lots of posts on curious pop-culture stuff, present day and "historical-hysterical" stuff...  Check it out!

Vatican Goes Carbon-Neutral

Speaking of those two Erins (see below), this should please them some:

Vatican takes a role in keeping God's earth green

By Francis X. Rocca, Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY — The Holy See announced this month that it would become the world's first "carbon neutral" sovereign state by planting trees in a Hungarian national park to offset the carbon-dioxide emissions and energy use of Vatican City.

Read more...

Not Quite Twins

So, Orin's wife Erin and co-worker Erin wore nearly the same outfit today, right down to their eyeglasses.  And they didn't even call each other ahead of time.

No word on why they chose to pose with lemonade mix.

The moment you've all been waiting for

Here it is!  Oddwalk's recent cover of "Jesus is a Friend of Mine" (or, alternatively, "Jesus is My Friend") made popular, if one can say that, by Sonseed:



Recorded at the Diocese of Jefferson City, MO Senior High Youth Rally, September 14, 2008 by Marianne Cline - woot!  Unfortunately, costumes and outdated eyeglasses and hairstyles (unless you count Orin's) were not yet ready for this performance...

---

UPDATE - 9/17, 1:30pm - for what it's worth, I think Oddwalk can claim the first cover of the song uploaded to YouTube. It is the little victories that count, isn't it?

When we get focused on something, we just can't seem to let it go.

Would you like to waste 10 seconds?

And by that, we mean would you like to waste 10 seconds more than you've already wasted on this visit to the Oddblog?  Then watch this:



Recorded at Young Neighbors in Action, Washington DC, 2008.

So, we're not promising anything...

Like the title says, but progress has been made on the Sonseed "Jesus Is My Friend" initiative:

 

82 - 0

82 - 0 is a bad final score in any game, including -- hockey.

si.com - BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) -- With more goals than minutes in the game, Slovakia's women's ice hockey team claimed an amazing 82-0 victory over Bulgaria in Olympic qualifying.
Slovakia outshot the Bulgarians 139-0 during the 60-minute game, played in Latvia. The margin of victory is a record for a women's International Ice Hockey Federation-sanctioned event.

Oddwalk comments: Ouch.

Thanks, Breezygirl25!

Hey!  We got our first online review of "Walk Away Different" that we didn't write ourselves!  Click the below review, from iTunes, to see it a little better:

We're happy to make anyone feel like a total idiot!  Just ask around.  And thanks for the great review!