Tony Funderburk Archives - Tony Funderburk

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...

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...

Throw away your daytimer (does anybody have one of those anymore?). Toss out your to-do lists, your notes to self, your calendar apps, and your reminders. Because everything has already been painstakingly planned out for you. You just need to get your research hat and glasses on. And discover the details of that plan. And how they apply to you. But there’s a snag in that approach to life. Go...

Imagine, for a moment, that you’ve set up a move in day for your nice, new house. Or apartment. Condo. Doesn’t matter. It’s just about perfect. It has precision appliances, digital climate control, two car garage. And basically all the amenities you could ever want. There’s just one catch. On move in day you discover your neighbor hates you. In fact, your neighbor hates you...

If it ain’t got a beat, then it just ain’t no treat. Of course, I’m talking about that ever-popular writing style known as sonnet poetry. And man is it ever manly! In fact, that’s the main ingredient to stylish poetry and prose. Manliness. But, before I harp on that, check these facts about sonnet poetry. First, it’s got da beat. Well, purists might call it meter. But...

A social media friend of mine shares some amazing photography. The colors are often so brilliant and high resolution they almost jump off the screen and directly into my brain. Lately (for obvious reasons) many of the pics are focused on Autumn. One of them, that popped up only yesterday, was titled Nestled in Nature. And I’m a huge fan of alliteration. So, I added a poem to the photo. This...

I read another article about brain cell connections to music. Yeah, I’m a nerd when it comes to that kind of information. And I love a quote from that article that said, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Of course the scientist who said that was talking about how brain cells communicate with each other by “firing” messages through junctions called synapses....

Let’s see. There was one bassist. Three cellists. Three violinists. And one pianist. Yeah, that about covers it. An eight-piece ensemble that started out, in second class, as a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble. Second class were their accommodations. Not their character or talent. Yeah, these were the kind of classy musicians who played for teatime gatherings. And other sort of...

95 years ago, today, October 6, a quirky little guy said, “”Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothing yet.” And the crowd went wild. You probably already know I’m talking about Al Jolson. And you probably already know he was the guy who made movie history when “The Jazz Singer” premiered as the first “talkie.” Yeah, after all those silent...

Hey, you know what would be a lotta fun? Let’s talk about the evolution of music. Are you with me? But let’s don’t do it in my boring musician way. Let’s start with a discussion about it I found on a government website. Yeah, I’ve got your undivided attention now. Right? Check out this interesting paragraph on the evolution of music. “Music is a core human exper...

Just about everybody has a bedtime routine. It makes sense. Because humans are creatures of habit. Like brushing your teeth and changing into pajamas. Those activities just become something you do without having to put a lot of thought and effort into them. And then maybe you read a little and turn off the lights. Boom. You’ve got a bedtime routine. Good for YOU. And you might think that&#82...

I’m happy to celebrate when a church moves in the direction of rightly dividing the word of truth. But you almost never see that anymore. In fact, most establishments calling themselves churches move in the opposite direction. Sometimes the move is speedy. And often it’s slow enough to be almost unnoticeable. Like when a report says a church moves by the hand of God. On the surface tha...

It’s unimaginably cool. But you and I actually have the breath of life from God in us. Uh-oh. I’ve already given you the clue that’ll probably make sure you get an A+ on this pop quiz I’ve got for you. I know. Nobody likes a pop quiz. But, no worries. Because I KNOW you’re gonna pass it now. OK, here’s the introduction to and the breath of life pop quiz… I...

You’ve been a person your whole life. If you’ve lived a few (or several) decades, hopefully you’re getting pretty good at being a person. Yeah, it’s an ongoing struggle. But somebody’s gotta do it. Right? But let’s begin at the beginning and see where it takes us. Even if you can’t say for sure when your life started, you know without a doubt, the human fo...

Imagine if you could breathe underwater. Just think of the places you could go. How do fish breathe underwater? Well, they actually have a wonderfully designed system of gills that capture the oxygen from the water as it passes through. So fish don’t have to hold their breath like you and I do. But what if you didn’t have to hold your breath? Yeah. What if the gill slits you have durin...

Music is an aural expression of life. From babies in the womb to the silver-haired citizens, music is an amazingly comforting language. I’ve shared a lot of information about the health benefits of music and sound. But it doesn’t benefit only the listener. And I know this from a lifetime of aural expression. Whatever musical gifts and talents I have are gifts from God. And I’ve b...