Archive for March, 2005

True Greatness

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005

This podcast is a reflection on my life as I stand at a new set of crossroads. I find myself here after a recent move, a personal friendship crisis of sorts, and a seemingly fruitless job search.

In life there is a time to blow your own horn, to accentuate the positive, and maybe even allow folks to think you are something more than you are. There is also a time for mortification of the ego and severe humility regardless of whatever seeming greatness looms in your not so distant past. I find myself alternately experiencing both of these things at the same time.

Since I want to present myself in the best light while job hunting, I have to blow my own horn so to say. I mean who else is going to do that for me?

However, since I realize it all depends on God and everything good including a good job ultimately must come from Him; I can see the need for self recollection and a humble malleable heart.

This may also help any of you who always think the grass is greener just over the fence.

All my life I wanted to achieve greatness, but I find God is just now starting to teach me what greatness is all about.

I hope you find this humorous look at the inner workings of my mind…well…humorous!

God bless you!

Michael A. Barone

My Anger With Our Elected Officials & the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Case

Sunday, March 20th, 2005

It’s late Saturday night and early morning Sunday as I recorded this podcast. Terri has been without food and water for many hours now…Our emotions and our hopes keep going up and down.

Now I hear about our inept elected officials screwing around on the job. Between the Senate and the Congress, they have passed two separate but different bills to save Terri and in doing so they have lost valuable time. Who was asleep at the wheel while this happened? A few minutes ago they said that they have finally fixed the two bills into one which will need passing on Monday.

My guess is they would have damned well written and passed one correct bill the first time, if it was their loved one’s life on the line.

I don’t mean to complain about the very people who are working so hard to save Terri’s life, but for those of us who elected them, we’re starting to get a little worried that our best and brightest are …well…neither ! God help them as they try to help Terri! But for us, it is very frustrating to be depending on someone else to right this situation and save Terri.

I’m sorry, but this has become personal to me, and I think to you as well. I had to blow off a little steam. Don’t play this podcast for small children either, I get a little heated.

Pray for these folks! Offer today’s (Sunday March 20th ) mass intentions for them and Terri.
God Bless you all!
Michael A. Barone

Oswald And The Herringbones

Friday, March 18th, 2005

OATH PictureOATH LOGO

OK! Here is how we are going to do this. I am going to post tunes by Oswald And The Herringbones to this blog page. ( I have also posted them on their own page here on the site!) They are going to be scattered versions scanning our many years. Some will be very poorly recorded, that is to say the quality was not all that great but they will be here anyway to give you some idea of the depth and changes for the span of years we played.

I will add tunes here every now and then. It is going to take me a few months to post all our tunes because we have around 300. So bear with me. The songs will not be in cronological order. They are just going to be posted in what ever order I can get them here. The id3 tags will give the dates of the recordings where ever I can get them edited.

Feel free to snag the tunes for your ipods and get into the band. We have great fun doing this for you so have great fun listening too. One thing to remember; if you do not like something by us, go to the next tune. They will rarely sound the same. We do all kinds of styles and genres so don’t run out on us if you don’t like a certain style or song. Just go to the next one! Happy Listening!
Michael A. Barone
Oswald And The Herringbones

Here are the songs:

My Father Didn’t Fight In The War (Bethel Rd. Studio Version)

My Father Didn’t Fight In The War (Norm’s Basement Version)

Standing In Line

Running Drag (Delashmut Rd. Studio Version)

Running Drag (Delashmut Rd. Studio Pre-Album Version)

Running Drag (Final Album Cut)

She

At The Point

Alice’s Rigatoni

Dishwasher Blues (Neal’s basement)

Hey Oh

I Think She Knows I’m Lethal (Delashmut Rd. Studio Worktape)

Rain (1982 Recording Workshop Studio)

Not Gonna

Be By Yourself

I Love You Baby ( What’s The Matter With You?)

Where To Go

(Let’s Make) Romance

My Friends Have Become Wolves (( By the way, this is true now more than ever!))

Together We Are One

The Barberettes

(Hang On) Sloopy

Ok! This is all I have had time to post as of 3-17-05 I will be posting more tunes soon. If you get crazy for more Click Here
There are 19 more songs by us that you can get as well.

Post to you soon!
Michael A. Barone
Oswald And The Herringbones

******** New Tunes Posted after this line *******************

OK,

These are add-ons. April 18th 2005.

I got a very nice email from Brian Smith stating that he had “in a fit of nostalgia” done a search on the internet to see if he could find some Oswald And The Herringbones tunes. Little did he know that he would stumble across this minor goldmine plethora of OATH songs. Never doubt the power of the World Wide Web.

Apparently Brian’s wife and his friends are big OATH fans too. They have requested a tune called Cross-town Shuffle.

This song was a hoot to play…literally since I played the sax on it! There are all kinds of hidden meanings in the lyrics, see if you can find some meaning for yourself. We used to challenge everyone at our concerts to try to dance all the way through the song. Most of these versions of it are around 10 minutes long, but occasionally we went for the gold and made it really long for a Jane Fonda Workout version (Our record was 22 minutes one night).

The first version I’m posting is one from the house studio at Bethel Rd. Mark Merchant and Tom Boyer were engineering it and Tom was also playing bass of course. Cross-town Shuffle Bethal Rd. studio version. (1982-84)

When we finished with the tracks after days of mixing down we decided to add the traffic sounds which we created by setting one microphone up in our extensive driveway and driving all our cars and my motorcycle around in circles while we yelled back and forth at each other.

The last thing You can hear is Tom saying is “you Joker!” But since we were fading the traffic track out in the mix down, it sounds like an obscenity, but it really is the word “Joker” not the “F-bomb” as the teens like to call it now.

Tom caught a lot of flack for it from the rest of the band. Mainly because we knew what he really said, but we always acted like we were disgusted with him for cussing, and (to this very day) we never cut him any slack for it. (By the way if he reads this, I’ll deny I wrote it!)

This first version is shorter and fades with the traffic sounds. Neal is playing most of the leads with Tom on bass. The next 3 versions
A) (Cross-town Shuffle from “Oswald And The Herringbones – Live At Presley’s”)
B) Cross-town Shuffle from “Oswald And The Herringbones – Victory Party Live At The Newport1985″)
C) (Cross-town Shuffle from “Oswald And The Herringbones – Live At Chelsea’s II”)

of it are the live dance mixes with various leads by Neal and Andy.

I hope Brian and His Family and friends like them still, and I hope the rest of you find a new gem or two as well. Thanks for caring enough to check back and listen!

Michael A. Barone

St. Patrick’s Day-Make it really Catholic

Thursday, March 17th, 2005

Sacred Heart Ring
Immaculate Heart

If you really want to be Irish for St. Patrick’s Day and the rest of the year for that matter. You can order these rings in 14K Gold ($300.00 at current gold prices) or Sterling Silver ($70.00).

I own the company that makes them! Metanoia means “Change of Heart”!
Go to www.sacredheartring.com for the whole story!
The price of the 14K gold ring is different on this site because the cost of gold has gone up.
Click the Scared & Immaculate Heart Claddagh Rings link on the right side of this page to see a larger picture!

The (Duh) Da Vinci Hoax!

Tuesday, March 15th, 2005

This Podcast is a re-broadcast of a speech given by Carl Olson, who is a leading Catholic expert in de-bunking the Da Vinci Code. Carl is a good friend and graciously has allowed us to post this podcast of his speech.

I felt the need to post this podcast because I had three separate run ins with the “Da Vinci Code” novel today. Please know that this book is absolute trash. Please do not buy it, or read it. Instead listen to this podcast and you will have almost all the knowledge you will need to realize what crap the “Da Vinci Code” is, and that it is not worth the paper on which it is written. For any other knowledge on this subject that you might feel you need to be one of the cool kids at school, or one of the smart guys around the water cooler at work, or just to be a well informed Catholic Christian, visit Carls web site at www.Carl-Olson.com. Or to purchase his most excellent book “The Da Vinci Hoax” visit www.DaVinciHoax.com or www.ignatius.com

Here is some of what has been said about Carl and his book “The Da Vinci Hoax”.

An August 2, 2004 review of The Da Vinci Hoax in The Washington Times states: “The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl E. Olson . . . and Sandra Miesel, a trained medievalist and veteran Catholic journalist, is the latest and perhaps the most thorough (amply sourced and footnoted) and engrossing of the many anti-Brown books that have emerged as sales of The Da Vinci Code itself have soared. . . . Mr. Olson and Mrs. Miesel write gracefully, wear their erudition lightly, and have produced a work that is far more readable, intelligent and valuable than the novel it debunks.”

“The title of this book by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel says it all. The authors of The Da Vinci Hoax deserve our gratitude for exposing in considerable detail and with a sure touch the fabrications of Dan Brown’s book. Theirs is the definitive debunking.” — Cardinal Francis George Archbishop of Chicago

“Finally! Someone has taken the trouble to counter the absurdities of The Da Vinci Code, and to confront all the anti-Christian and anti-Catholic rhetoric that book has inspired. In writing their own well-informed and well-argued text, Olson and Miesel have done a real service, not just to Christians, but to anyone weary of contemporary fads and foolishness. And unlike the original Code, The Da Vinci Hoax is a delight to read.” — Philip Jenkins Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University

“As one who has written mainly on the first 325 years of Christianity and The Da Vinci Code, it is a pleasure to recommend a book that covers additional questions so well. The Da Vinci Hoax is loaded with detail and corroborates many observations I also made. It is a responsible response to the misguided claims of the novel.” — Darrell L. Bock, Ph.D., Author, Breaking the Da Vinci Code

“Olson and Miesel have done a superb and meticulous job of dissecting the fraud which is The Da Vinci Code. Not only Christians, but all fair –minded people owe them a debt of gratitude.” — James Hitchcock Professor of History, St. Louis University

“Olson, [former] editor of Envoy magazine and a Catholic author with an evangelical background, and Miesel, a journalist with master’s degrees in biochemistry and medieval history, provide a wealth of richly detailed historical and theological information in their extensive volume. Chapters are arranged topically and thoroughly cover the subject under discussion, whether it’s Gnosticism or the Knights Templar or Leonardo’s art. More than the other titles, this book looks at the cultural and religious factors that have combined to contribute to the success of DVC.” — Marcia Ford, FaithfulReader.com

Terri Schindler-Schiavo and Prolife Catholicism

Monday, March 14th, 2005

This Podcast deals with the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo and the two cultures we are being asked to chose between. These are: The Culture of Death which has been brought to us by the contraceptive movement and mentality, and the Culture of Life being offered to us through the Roman Catholic Church and her teachings on Life.

Don’t kid yourself we are all are standing in the razor thin gap between these two cultures. We must do everything we can do legally, peacefully and as sons and daughters of God to save this woman’s life. Please get everyone you know to go to her web site at www.terrisfight.org and find out what they can do to help the Culture of Life prevail. Do it because you love God’s only begotten Son who died that you would be able to have life. Do it because it is the right thing to do. Or, do it because you could be in Terri’s situation someday with no one to speak for you.
Whatever reason prompts you to get involved, get involved.

This case is a landmark case and if we don’t do all we can to bring about the Culture of Life, we will need to answer for it on Judgment day. The opposite of Love is not Hate, it is Apathy. Jesus said in The Revelation of St. John. How I wish you were either hot or cold, but because you are luke warm I will vomit you out of my mouth. This is a situation we need to take sides over. Where do you stand on this issue? Go to www.terrisfight.org and at least get the facts to make your decision. Do not just listen to the secular media, Radio and Tv stations want a good story and then they are on to the next thing. This case deserves your attention, even if it is just long enough to get the facts about Terri’s case. Don’t say this is for someone else to handle. Do what you can. No matter how small you think your personal contribution of Time, Talent, or Treasure is, it may make the difference of life or death for Terri.

You might be tempted to think you can offer very little, well to you who are Catholic I say look to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What do we offer God in Mass. A dollar and fifty cents worth of bread maybe, and a dollar and fifty cents worth of wine, maybe? What can and does God do with that near worthless offering? He gives it back to us as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, of His only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ! Don’t say your offering is too small, just give it to God and watch what will happen! Let your voice be heard. Tell the world that you are watching and not sleeping on your watch. Save this woman’s life! God bless you all.
Michael A. Barone

MBA Class

Friday, March 11th, 2005

This is a commercial radio spot for my MBA class. Hip Clips doesn’t really exist so don’t go looking for them. I just parked this spot here so I could access it during my class. Feel free to listen to it if you want.
Michael A. Barone

Obedience… and Why!

Thursday, March 10th, 2005

This Podcast is about being obedient to the teachings of the Catholic Church. I have found in my short time on this planet that people who do not love the Church and teach as she teaches are dangerous folks. But we often are most disobedient when we do not understand why something is being asked of us. It is very important to remember that God created you and He gave you all the desires of your heart when He gave you His Son Jesus! We just need to find that out for ourselves sometimes before we can buy into the whole surrendering to God thing. I mention Christopher West’s tape series called “Naked Without Shame” too. If you do not have this series I would highly recommend getting it and a copy of the Holy Father’s book “Theology of the Body” Following the Church teachings on Humane Vitae and the Pope’s “Theology of the Body” would go along way toward fixing most of the problems of the world. That may seem hard to believe at first but trust me, it’s true!
Michael A. Barone

Rollerchairball Podcast

Monday, March 7th, 2005

This is the Rollerchairball podcast that will help explain the RCB video below.
Listen to the podcast first and see if you would be interested in starting a league of your own.

For all you Catholic Youth Ministers out there who are struggling to get teens and young adults to come to your parish YM programs. RCB (as it is also known) is a great way to bring in a crowd.

If you are not a Catholic youth minister you can substitute the Eucharistic Adoration portion with an hour of Praise and Worship, or just a good old prayer hour. Remember the eligibility requirement is only 15 minutes but you want to be there for the full hour to help and to answer questions too.

Afterward you will want to referee the RCB matches and even play yourself. It will kick your YM group into high gear, I promise!

Michael A. Barone
Commissioner of Rollerchairball
North Central American League

Rollerchairball Video

Sunday, March 6th, 2005

OK all you Catholic Youth Ministers out there looking for a way to get teens and young adults to come to you programs. It’s time to start your own Rollerchairball league. More Information about the game including a revised edition of the Official Rulebook can be found www.Rollerchairball.com

You can also download my How to Play Rollerchairball (and Win Everytime!) Video here!

Rollerchairball is the Official Game of the Third Millennium!