Rhyme and Reason with Tony Funderburk

The most serious issue facing our nation and the world isn’t fiscal. It’s physical. And it isn’t gun control or rock-n-roll. It’s mind control and your very soul. The most serious issue this world faces starts in the heart (which is not to be trusted, by the way, so don’t blindly follow your heart). But I want mine to be an optimistic voice in the middle of all the do...

You fell for it. And you did what had to be done. “They” said it’s YOUR choice. And you certainly made it. So, after you fall for a choice, like this, what’s left? Well, a glorious life filled with endless choices that can lead to your fulfillment and happiness. Right? Hmm. Let’s go to the video replay. And let’s see what others say. <span data-mce-type=&#822...

God made trees. Sure, I’m stating the obvious. But the obvious isn’t so obvious to the oblivious. So, even if you don’t believe the Bible, I have poetic proof of God’s hand in the creation of trees. First, did you ever hear the hit song, “A Boy Named Sue,” from Johnny Cash? It’s about a guy whose dad named him Sue so he’d have to either get tough or...

Today is particularly appropriate to share something I wrote 9 years ago about the gift of life. And I’m not sure who needs to read or hear this. But if it’s you, let me know so we can be glad together. Here’s the message… The moment you were conceived, you were given the indescribable gift of life. It’s an indescribable gift because no one can truly describe life. In...

A long, catchy melody line is a thing of beauty. And, for the most part, it’s a thing of the past. Pop music, in almost every genre, tends to seek out a vowel and repeat it over and over these days. Well, when it’s not touting body parts and one-night stands. And here’s why I mention a long, catchy melody line. I thought about a road trip, toward the end of summer between my juni...

So, grass fed beef, chicken, pork, etc. is better for you. Agreed? Whether you do or not, why would anyone make that claim? And what kind of proof does anyone have that it’s true? Well, there’s a ton of grass fed nutrition information “out there.” And I decided, some time ago, that it was compelling and convincing enough to make me choose grass fed meats over the alternativ...

Maybe you already know that Kenny Loggins has a brother named Danny. And if you do, then you probably already know that Kenny wrote “Danny’s Song” for his brother as a gift for the birth of his brother’s son. And if you know all that, you’re probably familiar with the line, “In the morning, when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes…” But you ha...

It would be a bit of a stretch to say I can see very well. At least, without my glasses, it would be a stretch. And even though I’m more vision-challenged now than when I was younger, my eyesight was never 20/20. But thankfully I can see very well with my cool, round glasses. Now, I shared all that to lead into another snippet of my professional music history. Let’s adjust the Wayback...

Way, way back in time, Elgielene put some kinetic energy on my wrist. And that’s my poet brain way of saying she bought me a Seiko Kinetic watch. If you’ve never seen one or had one, check ’em out. They’re pretty cool. And getting a little more rare these days. I’ve had mine for 26 years now. Seiko found a way to store kinetic energy in a tiny capacitor. And that&#821...

The famous northern lights show up at high latitudes around the world. It’s especially to see them near the Arctic Circle, in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. But they can also be seen as far south as northern Idaho. One popular theory about the northern lights is full of hot air. Well, soar wind to be a little more clear. Apparently there are disturbances on the sun that shoot off a s...

I’m suffering from depression. Right now. Exactly at the moment I’m typing these words. If you’ve followed my posts or podcast episodes, you might think I’d never be one of those people who deals with depression disorders. But here it is. And I gotta say, it hasn’t helped one bit to open up about this. There are a lot of depression disorders out there. But mine is wei...

Nikola Tesla was a fascinating character. And he was a great example of how great ideas started out with dreams. Like, have you ever heard how he had a dream to harness the power of Niagara Falls? I’ve been to Niagara Falls. I’m not sure anyone is gonna harness it. But Mr. Tesla had a knack for making his great ideas come true. Before he put his mind to work on electrical current, DC (...

Got some health challenges? Or other physical obstacles? How about emotional or relational problems? And let’s not forget your mental well-being. Have you discovered you’re not as young as you used to be? And wouldn’t you like to know why bad things happen to “good” people? Well, I can tell you why. You did it. “Wha?! I did it?!,” you ask incredulously. Or...

I know that you know that words can be deceiving. When I was a kid, we had a rhyme to thwart something somebody might say about us. It went like this: “Sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never harm me.” But people are even meaner these days. And they have more complex weapons. And words can be deceiving you in spite of what you “see.” Or they can at leas...

Norwegian Wood, by the Beatles. Scarborough Fair, by Simon and Garfunkel. We Are The Champions, by Queen. And even She’s Always A Woman, by Billy Joel. Those songs all have something in common. Do you know what it is? Well, I won’t make you guess. They’re all performed in 6/8 time. And 6/8 time is one of the best for heart-felt emotion. 6/8 time is a meander, not a walk. A deligh...

They’re everywhere. In almost every household. Certainly in every politician’s office. And in the heads of most every kind of person there is. From young graduates to old tyrants. Big plans. For good. And not so good. And downright evil. Big plans and dreams are fine. If you’d like to achieve and receive awards, scholastic achievements, and trophies, there’s nothing inheren...

How about this expression? “The bad apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” You’ve heard that, right? Hmm, maybe that’s acorn. Or lemon. Doesn’t matter. The point’s the same. But there’s another expression, too. “One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch.” That, of course, originated from the Jackson Five, where the wise and glimmeri...

It’s a mean world. Every day you see and experience the cold, hard truth in this world. Whether you like it or not. And whether you prefer to think positive or be negative. Doesn’t matter if you’re a glass-is-half-full person or glass-is-half-empty person. It’s the “new normal.” But this new normal is anything but new. If you’ve been alive here on planet e...

According to search engine “suggestions,” a very popular search term is “Kanye West net worth.” And sadly, for the hip-hop rapper, it’s way less than it was. Poor dude is only worth about $400 million now. But don’t worry. Because fans want to make him a billionaire again. Gotta get that Kanye West net worth back into the $B column. But why do fans, who probably...

It’s not a new cop show. Nope. The Grace and Glory I’m talkin’ about is found in the one story that makes ALL history possible. And this is true whether you believe in the God of the Bible or not. Because your belief, thankfully, doesn’t provide or diminish grace and glory. And that’s because grace and glory are fully contained in the one person who’s responsibl...

Real, and true, inalienable rights come from God. And all those so-called “laws” that so-called “lawmakers” make, almost daily? Well, they’re childish gibberish hung from a foolish wish. And they’re subject to subjectivism and/or the whims of a so-called “organic” government document. But even that document acknowledges that true rights come from God...

So. You grew up, left your parents’ house, and went out on your own. Great. You’re not a kid anymore. And that’s exactly as it should be. What’s that? You still have to deal with your inner child? Well, here’s some free, unsolicited advice. Kick that inner child to the curb. Yeah. You read that right. Kick that inner child out of your head immediately. And don’t...

Ringtones for phones are still a $2.1 billion bidness. According to one website I found that talks about such things. In 2005, ringtones outsold CD’s. Yeah, I know that’s no big deal now because who cares about CD’s anyway? Right? Not so fast Mister Man (or Missy). I just read a few news snippets that talked about how 2021 was actually a comeback year for our old friend the compa...

I’ve enjoyed Dr. Seuss books since I was a kid. In fact, I’m sure his rhythmic and whimsical writing inspired many of my writings for kids. And I’ll even admit that in a court of law if needed. But that still doesn’t stop me from sharing what I’m about to share. You might call me Mr. Grinch after this. But it brings me no joy (and there’ll be none in Whoville) t...

From here to Timbuktu. You’ve heard that expression or something like it. Right? Well, I’m not gonna give you a history lesson on where the expression originated or if it’s even a real place. But it DID inspire a toy store in the Denver area. And so, Timbuktu also, in a roundabout way, inspired a song. It’s one of the 10 fun and silly songs in the Kiddin’ Around colle...