A Great Loss; RIP Ken Palmer

Yesterday, Oct 30th, 2013, I received the terrible news that my old friend Ken Palmer had passed following complications in his recovery from a recent heart transplant. I was devastated to say the least.

I have many memories that will keep Ken alive and with me for all my years but I dug out a cassette and found an interview I did with Ken in 1998 when I was host of CHRW's "For The Folk".

It's all very raw and unedited and is quite long, but despite the length and my stammering, it is classic Ken Palmer.

I hope that you will all take the time to listen as it gives some biographical background to Ken and to the Home County Folk Festival which at the time had just turned 25.

Ken was very influential in my life and was a good friend and mentor. I sometimes tried to say jokingly that I was his "sidekick" when we co-emceed the Home County Folk Festival. He would always correct me and say "Ah, ah, ah! You're NOT my sidekick... you're my partner!"

Click here for the full interview. It's 102MB and about an Hour and 28 minutes. Recorded late July 1998 at CHRW studios, UWO. Photo above by Derrick Hind 2007.

RIP "Big Kenny". Thanks for all of the great things you've done for all of us over the years. London and area is greatly indebted to you.

You can’t tame a Crazy Horse!

Behind the scenes at Budweiser Gardens with @LeGiff

Ian Gifford – Oct. 9, 2012

Unlike your average concert goer these days, I believe I have a somewhat unique perspective to share for various reasons. I am a performer, an audio engineer, a stage manager, a music writer and former radio host. I've been closely tied to music for a good part of my life.

I haven’t been to a whole heck of a lot of large scale concerts as a spectator to be honest. I can name about 10 shows I’ve been to that were larger than 6000 in the audience. Most of my shows have been in clubs and halls or outdoor festivals and tiny little taverns and the like. I’ve always said that I prefer to go to shows where I can tip a “bevvie” back with the bands afterwards or maybe buy them a round. I’m a musician after all. Musicians often do that for one another. 

I didn’t get, or expect a chance to buy Neil Young and Crazy Horse a round this Saturday but that’s different. First, I read somewhere that Neil is off booze and other stuff altogether. Second, with the energy that the band churns out song after song, despite the large hall and throngs of howling  & whistling fans, they gave off an energy akin to the hardest rocking bands any given night at Call The Office, just down the road from Budweiser Gardens, where Saturday night’s festivities took place. Their aural honey was a rock fan’s nectar of the gods! 

Not being quite as familiar with shows like this (every show is very different in every venue and I have worked behind the scenes as a stage manager or sound tech for literally thousands of shows!), I find it interesting to see how facility management has to deal with it. Let me veer off for a second here: 

I was glad to have met up with my friend James Reaney of the London Free Press before the show. He wrote a review of the evening that I could never hope to top! If I put in anything about what songs were played and such, I’m pretty sure I’d just be ripping James off, so let me instead try to lend a musician/audio geek perspective to the event. 

Saturday evening I met up with my brother in law Brad, who has seen Neil Young before, but as part of his own thing without Crazy Horse. We bused downtown and were both pretty excited.  We had planned to grab a beer and meet up with some people then go in and see the opening band.

When we arrived we immediately got our drinks only to find that when we got to our gate, we weren’t allowed to enter with our full to the brim beer; house policy for the night. Well, I wasn’t about to chug it, as I just don’t like to do that and I’d rather enjoy it, so we stood outside in the corridor and took our time. We heard a band take the stage and knew it had to be “Infantree” and were a little bummed to miss them.

While we stood there, we met a lot of interesting people, some that were already pretty intoxicated it seemed, as evidenced by the amount of times I was spit on while being regaled with past Neil young show experiences. 

Some of the folks were quite fun to talk to and had wondered aloud what the policy was about. Some people grumbled of course and other people simply went “Oh well!” and either knocked back their drinks or threw them out. The “drunken spitter” was a recipient of a couple of giveaways. Lucky him! 

Now don’t think I am about to trash the facility or anything, but more, I hope to give some perspective  to the non-technical folk, on why shows like the Crazy Horse gig happen to go like this. The Budweiser Gardens marketing and PR people already explained to me that it’s really about managing the alcohol consumption and general risk factor. When you have people of all ages on the floor, with the house lights off, you can’t see who’s got something they should not have etc. 

You also cannot see who may have been served past their limit and may become a liability for the facility. I truly get it, having worked more than 10 years in the bar scene every staff member has to be able to monitor the situations appropriately. But really it’s the same for any music facility with a liquor license and especially those with kids under 19 in attendance. Insurance costs are also a factor I am certain. 

When we did get into the hall, the direct support act “Los Lobos” was on. I immediately noticed the sound was muffled or muddy, as James mentioned in his article. I did walk around the entire floor to give my ears time to adjust to the volume but even after a while it still was fairly muddy. 

Most of these big touring bands have their own “Front of House” (FOH) technician that writes what are called a “production rider” and “stage plots” and runs the checks and the sound for the headliner. 

In a house like Budweiser Gardens they will either ask the venue to rent from a reputable local sound company or possibly the acts are touring with many rigs in an entourage of crew in many buses and trucks. I’ve been the third guy mixing the opener in a situation like that and gotten to do a sound check with my band of just 5 minutes! Sometimes it just turns out like that and you make the most of it. 

The FOH tech for the headliner calls the shots. They get all the time to work out all sound issues that they need, then the support takes their time and then the third band gets whatever’s left until the doors open. Like I said one day I got a 5 minute sound check with my band and it was pretty hairy! Overall though I thought it sounded ok in the end. Things can be much different these days in the digital realm though. 

 I do want to dispel the myth that opening acts aren’t “allowed” to sound better, or that the top guys sabotage the opener’s sound, things just do not work that way. It all comes down to the time each of the technicians gets to work out “bugs” individually and after all; the headliner is such for a reason and deserves more of the attention. 

Things sometimes can get better for the openers further in on a tour, especially when and if the company is touring with the newer digital boards where they can save their mix information to a thumb drive or SD card. 

Some techs maybe just don’t “get” some venues because they’re a new experience for them and that could have been the case with Los Lobos, because frankly I’ve heard a few bands now at that venue that sounded impeccable. It was a shame really. I loved their energy and I liked all their songs, even the ones I hadn’t heard before. I mean those dudes ROCKED and I would love to see them in London again as James suggested in his article. Hint hint there BG. ;-) 

However, it sounded like the Crazy Horse tech got his time in, because the Crazy Horse set was phenomenal! The lows of the bass guitar were rich and full, the electric guitars were in your face without cutting your head off and the drums were super big without making your head pound along with each hit.

I got a neat perspective late in the show when I was invited up to a suite with Chris of Budweiser Gardens. We were at the side of the stage and not only could see the full band from an eagle’s eye view, we got a direct blast from the line array speakers which sounded crystal clear. The other bonus of that was watching the hustle and bustle of crew and technicians between songs, which is something I always get great joy from. Stage work fascinates me; I could sit and watch it all day. ;-) 

I mean, sitting there and seeing the prep that had to go into setting up and tearing down those giant mock amps; which I am sure were hiding much smaller combo or short stack amps behind them; was as much of a thrill for me as being in the same room with Neil Young and Crazy Horse themselves. 

The big microphone in the middle was funny, if not kitschy and a tad distracting. 

Overall the show made me realize just how much thought and prep has to go into every little detail of presenting a show like that, from how much food and drink you can expect to be consumed to how much space you can fill with bodies in the stands and on the floor, to how to make sure the experience is a safe and enjoyable one for all. 

I think the only thing missing from a show like this was a communication from the facility’s standpoint. As I mentioned to the marketing people at BG, if it was communicated that alcohol was not allowed on the floor in advance, it could be something that people prepare for. I would have liked the opportunity to get there before and make sure I saw the openers. As a reviewer that’s important to me. It’s not that having a beer is a make or break to the show but it is part of the overall experience for some, especially on a holiday weekend when you are out celebrating with friends and family.

Of course it can lead to problems as well when people go out for drinks first to a nearby pub or pre-drink at home. This is something that has been brought up as a bone of contention for other bar/venue owners as of late in the local media. 

So from the Neil Young fan and Crazy Horse fan perspective, I had a great time. They did not disappoint at all and the show was everything I would have expected from them and more. The standout track for me was the new single from “Psychedelic Pill” (to be released on October 29^th, 2012) “I was born in Ontario”. I had heard it on a local station a couple weeks before and immediately thought “I’ve found my new anthem!” 

“Born in Ontario” has got a great chunky groove to it and makes you just want to raise your arms and shout right along. Older hits like “Cinnamon Girl”, “Powderfinger” and “Roll Another Number” brought back memories of many times sitting around a kitchen table with friends and an acoustic guitar and a harmonica in a rack. If I had an actual “bucket list” of concerts to see, this one would have been on it and satisfyingly scratched off on Saturday. 

It’s an honour to be a part of such a great event and I am ever grateful to the folks at Budweiser Gardens for this opportunity and hope that they all appreciate my unique slant on the events at their facility. 

I am not a professional writer; I just try to write as if I was telling you of my experiences over a beverage or two. It’s a unique experience to be at a venue of this calibre any time, with about 9000 or more of my neighbours. I love that London has a venue that can attract such a high calibre of musicians to grace its stages and attracting the audiences that keep them wanting to come back. 

Good work Budweiser Gardens, nee John Labatt Center. It’s been a great 10 years and I wish you 100+ more! 

London Ontario Bike Bylaw Restructure Proposal

By Ian Gifford – 08/20/2012 edited 09/11/2012

Note: This is something I came up with in August. Now that the discussions in council (regarding 14 year olds and younger on side walks) have surfaced I wanted to see what other Londoners think of some of these ideas. Can we make any of them work and can we do it to make our roads safer now? Feel free to comment but constructively please. Negative comments do nothing to advance the solutions required to make cyclists feel safer in our city right now. We need "solutions to the problems, not problems to the solutions" - Gil Penalosa

Gil Penalosa gives a great talk on car vs pedestrian vs cycle traffic in the world's cities HERE in this video

New York City made cycling infrastructure changes happen virtually overnight. See what they have done in this video here

The Florida Bicycle association made this education site here as provided by a commenter below. 

Overview: The following is a list of suggestions for changes in Bicycling related traffic bylaws for London Ontario while future changes in road infrastructure pertaining to cyclists are yet to be realized. The hope is that with minor changes to the way cyclists use the roads and pathways within the city, that public and police perception of cyclists will alter and a balance between all three of drivers, pedestrians and Cyclists can be met.

Reasoning: Cyclists face a wide variety of obstacles in London, Ontario every day from unkempt streets, to littered pathways/shoulders (glass, dirt, trash etc.) and aggressive drivers, many which suffer from a disdain and disrespect for cyclists. Driver perceptions of the average cyclist can cause many to be aggressive towards the cyclist ultimately advancing “road rage” between the two parties and on some occasions resulting in accidents with the cyclists largely becoming the injured party.

In London’s current state, there are many multi use pathways that prove to be very good for recreational use and in some instances good for daily commutes to various parts of the city. However, arterial streets in London (ie: Highbury, Adelaide, Oxford, Dundas, Wharncliffe, Commissioners) are largely without painted bike lanes or Boulevard style lanes up and away from the flow of traffic. Bikers like me often feel unsafe and thereby take to the sidewalk while that can lead to fines from Police and/or aggression from drivers and pedestrians.

The hope of amending/altering some city bylaws and how they pertain to cyclists is to change the public perception and to allow within the legal system for riders to take to the sidewalks in a safe manner, without worry of repercussions. There would be obvious need for exceptions to these amendments and will be listed accordingly. Such exceptions would include where a bike lane on the road exists and/or sharrows are painted into the streets and signs indicating all to “share the road” or that “this is a designated bike route” exist.

The biggest need in cycling culture change is the acceptance of cyclists as co-owners of the roads and pathways. Alternately there are cyclists that are in need of changing their own methods of using the streets and pathways. It’s a situation where respect will likely need to be given in order to be gained back
.

Another thing that needs to be acknowledged on the path to equalisation on the roads is that current road laws are not ultimately created with the cyclist in mind and are largely outdated and not inclusive to the cyclist. With minor change in many of these laws we can have equalisation for all users of roads and pathways and make our traffic system safe and enjoyable for all.

Bylaws: Current London, Ontario bylaws restrict cyclists from riding on sidewalks anywhere within the city. Cyclists often will ride these sidewalks at the risk of being stopped by police and fined. These laws are restrictive to cyclists who want to or need to ride on major arteries where the lane size and volume of traffic makes it unsafe to navigate freely for the slower moving cyclist.

Proposed amendment 1: Eliminate bylaw altogether (with restrictions for cyclist use) and change nomenclature from “sidewalk” to “roadside pathways”. The idea of changing nomenclature is to change public perception of how these walks may be used. The idea of eliminating fines for sidewalk use with exceptions will allow for the safe passage throughout the city without threat of being overtaken by high volume traffic.

Restrictions:

·        Cyclists using the sidewalk must pro-actively and voluntarily demonstrate knowledge of bicycle safety. Helmets, bells, lights, reflectors and well kept braking systems should be present at all times. The exceptions would be subject to evaluation by bylaw enforcement and/or Police officers.

·         Children under the age of ___ are exempt at all times from sidewalk/roadside pathway bylaws. Children must always be wearing CSA approved helmets as per current laws.

·        Streets where there are lines/sharrows/lanes for cyclists must always be used instead of sidewalks by cyclists above the age of ___. Any cyclists found in breach of this will be subject to current fines under the established bylaws.

·         Downtown core sidewalks are exempt except where major bike parking areas exist (ie Citi Plaza on Wellington Rd, between King and York streets) where bikes should be cruising at no more than 10km/hr for 30 feet on either side of the bike park.

Proposed Amendment 2: the “CSEP” or the “Cyclist Special Exceptions Permit”. This would be a voluntary permit with an annual fee. Once a year London cyclists would be encouraged to go to an authorized city bicycle dealer/repair shop for the purpose of a bike inspection and “License” issuing.

The License can be had in one of two forms depending on cost or preference by bylaw enforcers. The first form could be a bike mounted numbered license while the second could be a photo identification card. This license/card would be null and void if certain requirements are not met at the time of use.

Requirements:

·        Cyclists must demonstrate knowledge of the rules of the road and basic bicycle use.

·        Cyclists must have a bicycle equipped with standard safety equipment including well maintained brake systems, reflectors, lights (exemptions during daylight hours), and potentially helmets.

·        Cyclists will only be required to have this card/license past the age of ___

      Allowances:

·        The CSEP allows for cyclists to ride on designated sidewalks at all times (amendments to this can be for peak traffic flows only on certain roads) without fear of repercussion/fines by bylaw/traffic enforcement agents. In the instance that a cyclist is stopped by said enforcement officers the card/license may be presented and the officer at their discretion can exempt the rider from fines providing safety measures are being practiced and displayed by the cyclist.

·       

           The CSEP is voluntary and invalid in cases where the card or license is not with the cyclist during their ride thereby subjecting the cyclists to all fines/repercussions under current bylaws.

·        The CSEP is dependant on reasonable use of these pathways by ALL cyclists. If cyclists are found in neglect of basic and standard safe cycling practises, all benefits of the CSEP are voided.

·         The CSEP may entitle the holder to special discounts from participating bike shops/repair shops at the discretion of said shops. A page on the city of London website could direct cyclists that hold the CSEP to the shops that participate in the CSEP program.

·       

           The CSEP will allow users to attend city run cycling events (assuming any are made in the future) like bike rodeos, cyclist town hall style meetings and membership in online CSEP forums.

Exceptions:

·         The CSEP is not a “Get out of jail free” card. It does not abide by reckless and dangerous cycling. Any user Found in violation of standard laws pertaining to cyclists may be subject to a revocation of the CSEP by London enforcement officers and be refused future CSE Permits at the discretion of the CSEP administrators.

·         The CSEP is subject to specially mapped areas of London at all times. The main purpose of the CSEP is to allow for safe passage on sidewalks/roadside pathways of mainly Arterial routes until such time as cycling infrastructure is introduced whereby exemptions will change and the exemptions map will reflect the new lanes (or other types of cycling infrastructure).

Fees: The CSEP, while being voluntary, will come with an administrative fee that can (at the city managers discretions) be used towards cycling infrastructure and maintenance with potential for city run cycling awareness programs and bike rodeos etc. These fees would be determined based on projections of use, infrastructure and maintenance costs and overall program participation. 

LeGiff's own Vegetarian Chili

LeGiff’s own Vegetarian Chili – hot!

1 onion chopped

2 Jalapeno’s chopped - to reduce heat, clean and seed one of them.

1 sweet red or yellow pepper diced

4 cloves garlic – chopped

2/3 pkg of sliced white or crimini mushrooms

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 19oz can black beans drained & rinsed

1 19oz can red kidney beans drained & rinsed

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

1 23oz can (680ml) tomato sauce

1 pkg Yves Veggie Ground round

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin seed ground

2 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Salt to taste. Add this very late so you can taste how much salt comes out from the canned vegetables first.

Sautee Garlic, onions, mushroom and peppers in olive oil till onions are translucent add spices and lime juice and stir to blend. Add beans tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a boil, reduce heat and add Yves veggie ground round (no pre-heating required) and simmer for a long time stirring occasionally until chili has reached your desired consistency. 

This is a hearty chili high in protein and fibre. The nice thing about cooking with fresh jalapenos to add the heat as opposed to a lot of powdered spices is that it’s a cleaner burn on the palate. For people who find it too hot, stir in a tbsp of sour cream to mute the heat.

Chana Masala recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Instead of cayenne I chop a dried chili and sautee it with the onions, garlic and ginger. 

Chana Masala - (channa = chickpeas, masala = spice blend)

2 tbsp butter (or vegetable oil to make recipe vegan)

1 medium Spanish onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1” piece ginger peeled and grated

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 28oz can tomatoes chopped roughly in can

1 19oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

2 tsp whole cumin

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander seed

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt (or as needed in late stages of recipe)

1 tsp garam masala

Over medium heat melt butter/heat oil and sautee ginger, garlic and onions till onions are soft. Add spices, except salt and garam masala, and add lemon juice stirring as to not allow spices to burn. When well blended add chickpeas and tomatoes with juice, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately an hour stirring occasionally. In last 5 minutes of cooking add salt (if needed) and the garam masala.

Serve on basmati rice or mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped red chili or a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream (to mute the heat)

Taco Wars - Here we go again

 The following is a letter written to Taco Bell. Last time I posted something about them it was that they were charging 60 cents extra to substitute their beef with beans. I wrote them and it got reversed. This time they are frying french fries in chicken contaminated fats and not providing a warning to people. That's disgusting and it needs to stop. This is not a new battle for me. I once took on a local diner when I found bacon in my fries and they eventually closed up. (not as a result of me I am sure but bad business practices will bite you in the ass every time.)

___________________________________________________________________________

To Taco Bell:

This is not the first time I have contacted you about concerns about how you treat your vegetarian customers and I find it disheartening that I have to do it again.

I have been eating at a mall based Taco Bell for some time now fairly regularly. About a year ago they took on a "KFC Express" and just recently told me that chicken is being prepared in both vats that are available for frying. This means of course that fried potato products are being cross contaminated with animal proteins. This is not acceptable.

Do you not realize how many vegetarians eat at taco bell for the bean burritos and tacos substituted with beans? Now a simple vegetable like potato fries is no longer available to us because of your inability to see the need for separate fryers.

And do you have signage up to tell people that your fries may be contaminated with chicken fats? No you don't and that is shameful and appalling. How many times do we vegetarians have to threaten to boycott your restaurants and start national campaigns against you till you start taking us into consideration before you make dumb moves like this?

I would like you to fix this or a national campaign is exactly what I'll start and the first place I will turn to will be PETA. They already don't like what KFC's practices are but to find out that Taco Bell is contaminating their vegetables and not telling people will likely start some fresh protests and action.

Come on Taco Bell. Your food is good. Your customer service is Ok, but your foresight on decision making is lacking. You need to change your approach to food and start including EVERYBODY.

Please fix this so I can enjoy my fries supreme again. It's tough enough as it is to find quick palatable options that fit my diet. Fries may not be the most healthy thing as it is but even vegetarians are allowed a guilty pleasure now and then, no?


Ian

A letter to Jian Ghomeshi about Atheists & religion

this letter was in response to this show...


Hi Jian,

I have to say that I found today's discussion with Alain de Botton somewhat charming and quaint, with the ideas that atheists could borrow from religion. Myself, before renouncing religion overall (I call myself a non-theist as I am devoid of any theistic needs and abhor the christian bred stigmas that surround being an "Atheist") I was deeply involved in the church with youth groups and a youth choir which I toured around Ontario and into Michigan with. It was in those days of singing about Christ and God that I started to question the things I was being taught and was singing about, yet even after I had made my personal decisions on what I really believed, I still found much joy in singing in the choirs.

When the arguments come up with believers about how I live with my particular points of view, which is essentially that at the end of it all I am merely worm fodder with a limited legacy to follow me, I generally tell people I just don't have the time for it. I don't have the time in a day to wonder if there could be a omnipotent being trying to direct my actions. I don't have the time to wonder if my actions will get me into the nice post death world or nasty post death world, I am too busy living a full life where the days are short enough as it is. I really just don't buy the idea of a post death world and don't see merit in convincing people that they should live for that. See ya, bye bye, It was nice to meet you and have you play all that nice music for me and break bread and all that but I am done.

As to needing some sort of moral compass to live by, my parents did a pretty good job of teaching me to see right from wrong without having to make me believe it was "God's will". Sure they started off with the whole Santa Claus scene whereby if I am on good behaviour I will get presents at the end of the year. My turning point was seeing God as a Santa for grown ups and just like Santa Claus there's a point in time where we have to recognize the teachings as merely a tool or guideline and that eventually we have to move away from it and essentially "grow up".

When I was with the choir we saw religion from all sides. Even though the choir "Kids for Christ" was largely drawn from members of the United Church, we had members with Catholic and Anglican and Presbyterian backgrounds as well so we played for a variety of congregations including Baptist which was a rather interesting congregation to be alongside. 

It was in the baptist church where for the first time I saw people weeping in the church, saying "thank you Jesus" with every second breath and clutching their bibles very close to their hearts, behaviours which I found to be extreme and nearly fanatical. A friend turned and looked at me and I dramatically punched my choir book twice to indicate "bible thumpers" and my buddy nearly lost it during the sermon. He being the son of a United minister was also questioning the teachings of his family/church and I can imagine it was tougher for him than me to work through. 

I am certain that this kind of behaviour is not what Alain is suggesting that Atheists or Non-theists need to adopt. Sure I miss the singing I got to do every Sunday but I don't miss the stuffy, sterile and boring old hymns. Sure I miss the sense of community within the church with the nice finger sandwich and orange drink luncheons in the church basements or halls after the service but I don't miss the "who's dressed best for god this week?" air of judgement that surrounds it. I've done pretty well in my life thus far in examining cause & effect in relation to my actions and interactions. I really don't need the pastoral patronisations of what's essentially counselling for the masses, telling me weekly in an uber P.C. manner how to handle situations that come up in my day to day. 

I just don't need any of that to feel happy with myself and my life and that I am doing the right things and that I will go to my grave at peace with all I have accomplished or may have left unfinished. If somebody invented a church of atheism or maybe even a weekly atheist group would I attend? Probably not. I mean I can discuss every day life with people at will and don't need to join a group to be able to do it. I don't try to convert people to my way of thinking but I'll definitely explain it to anyone that asks. I merely exist. I breathe. I break bread with good people and the people who need it most. I pour my neighbour's wine glass more full than my own. I am the first to help in the kitchen when the meal someone else made for me is finished.

Maybe those ideals were bred into me through my Christian teachings or maybe it's just a well established sense of right and wrong. "Do unto others as you will have them do unto you" is universal, it's not Christian or Muslim or Buddhist yet while it does exist in those religions the notion belongs to all of us. 

So essentially I see atheism as being devoid of any religious trappings. A-theism (atheism) relates to theism as A-sexuality (asexuality) relates to gender with the "A" part indicating an absense. A-theism does not translate to A-morality either. I consider myself to be very moralistic while in some ways anarchistic. I believe in a global brotherhood and sisterhood that can exist without a subscription to any one set of beliefs and that we all deserve to be judged on our treatment of others and not on the frequency of our "worship of God's laws" whoever/whatever that god may be. 

So thank you both for having that discussion. It was intriguing and fun but now I will go back to being the heathen that believers in a particular deity might see me as. I am truly not bothered by it unless it diminishes how someone hears my voice and my thoughts and then I have to wonder what their belief is costing them and society overall?