it's swell - it's Mattel!

As a kid I liked toy guns. I especially liked the toy guns that looked real enough to rob a bank. What's keen about this fanner 45 is that it actually shoots "safe" projectiles. That means you can aim at all your sibling's eyes without worrying about putting an eye out. I wonder why these Shootin' Shell 45s were taken off the market?

Roy Rogers Trick Shot Hat

I never had one of these. I don't remember ever seeing this commercial. I do remember the cowboy belt buckle that had a pop out derringer in the buckle. The only thing with the Trick Shot Hat - you need to make sure you're pointing the hat in the right direction to keep from gut-shooting yourself.

the Jesus Movement

Here's a nice little YouTube video reflecting back on the Jesus Movement. There are several glimpses of Fred Field (Love Song) within these photos. Fred came to Alabama in the late seventies to play at our festival as well as tour around a little. During that time he played at our coffeehouse meeting which was at the time being held at Central United Methodist Church's youth hut. He had an album out at the time called Last Train To Heaven.

Though most of these photos are of the Jesus Movement in California - Jesus was moving among the youth here in Alabama too. I have a lot of good memories of that time.

john michael talbot

This song is called Would You Crucify Him. This is one of the first songs I ever heard John Michael Talbot sing. Though his life and music took a different path as he followed God - I loved his earliest work the best. I would like to find his album The New Earth. I would love to hear it again. I used to have a cassette of it but wore it out many many many years ago. His music was among my most favorite of the Jesus Music era.

I first heard John Michael Talbot when Brook, Don Rakestraw and I drove out to Atlanta to hear him. That night Mike Warnke fronted for him. I had never heard of either of them. We stayed over at John Zeller's house after the concert. John Zeller was a Bose rep that Don befriended while Don still worked at Laverty Music. John let us sleep on the floor in his living room during that visit. I didn't get much sleep on that hard floor but would not have missed the experience for the world.

We (Christian Brother's Association) later invited both John and Terry Talbot to headline at our first No Jive Jesus is Alive Falls Festival back in 1977. They really sounded great together.

I would love to hear John Michael Talbot live again. I'd love to hear him do some of his old stuff. He is an incredible musician - an incredible songwriter - and a true servant of God.

andy kaufman

The first time I saw Andy Kaufman was on Saturday Night Live. He did this act as well as the Mighty Mouse bit. His humor was quirky - no one ever knew what this guy was going to do next. This clip is from the Johnny Cash show. Good stuff.