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stRayâ„¢

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me


I have never been one to simply accept the status quo… That’s not to say that there is anything inherently wrong with it, I just want to know what the root of it is and understand it before I decide to involve myself.

I was adopted shortly after birth and raised in upstate NY (The Hudson Valley / Poughkeepsie if anyone has ever heard of it). I spent a lot of time getting beat up and victimized as an underweight Ritalin kid and eventually locked myself in my room for hours a day with my bass guitar.

Music was really my "first salvation" and the initial reason I stopped getting abused in High School. I played in a number of bands through my teens and into my early twenties, but after that, I changed my focus onto Christ and to Patti (Natale) my wife, who I met at Arlington High School. Interestingly enough, it was my involvement in church that also rekindled my love for music in the mid nineties.

Since that time, I have been in a handful of bands, playing live and doing recording projects as a vocalist, including a solo project in 2002. I really enjoy getting to share music and spirituality with my wife, our four kids and our friends. I am also the youth pastor at UpRising Church , which was born out of a vision of Sr. Pastor (and former wetherman) Joe Case , which is also very similar to our "Soultuary" vision. I also enjoy spending time in JD McGowan 's chair at Billy Joe's Tattoo in Nashville.

My Interests

In no particular order: Spirituality, Family, Friends, Making Music, Listening to Music, Tattoos, Piercing, Art, Serving Humanity, Exotic Birds

I'd like to meet:

People who are done with corporate Christianity and desire a return to an honest relationship with Christ, other people and are actually interested in making a difference in the world... not just talking about it.

Also, anyone who is passionate and proficient in their art, be it music, visual arts, acting, culinary, body modification, architecture/design, or any of the dozens of other art forms I don't have room to explore here!

And man... I swear I am getting the band bug again. Any musicians out there? I mean, c'mon. This is Nashville, right?

Music:

My CD/MP3 collection may seem a little strange to some… Grant it, my family (especially the kids) seems to destroy every recording I ever purchase, so my CD collection is a little messed up. And, I lost a TON of music after a bad computer crash, but I am back up to around 4,100 MP3s.A sample play list might contain the likes of Palomino Road, Andres Segovia, Asia and Killswitch Engage. You just never know with me… but as a general rule of thumb, if it's loud and it's fast and it makes you want to break out windows, I probably dig it!

Movies:

I’m not a big movie fan. In general, if it’s got to do with music or if there are a lot of things blowing up, I’ll probably watch it. Some of my favorites include: This is Spinal Tap, School of Rock, Little Nicky, Concert Videos, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc…

Television:

I don’t make a lot of time for television and with my priorities and expenses being what they are these days, the cable selections are a little meager… I miss Fuse, MTV, MTV2 and VH1 not to mention that I really miss my TiVo! Aside from programming that is music related, I will sit and watch The Simpsons, Fear Factor or anything related to Tattoos and Piercing.

Books:

Books? Aren't they like magazines with a lot more words in them?

Heroes:

I've had many heros in my life. Jesus is the only one that hasn't failed me.

My Blog

Friggen Done!

I don't know what it has been with this week, but I am glad it's friggen done!Nothing bad in particular, just one of those weeks where I just haven't been satisfied with my day most days... Like I sai...
Posted by stRay" on Fri, 16 May 2008 12:09:00 PST

So... Does That Mean We’re Rednecks Now?

First off, a very happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there. Even if you are thanked and appreciated constantly, it's still not enough. You deserve all the accolades possible and more. I got...
Posted by stRay" on Sun, 11 May 2008 03:59:00 PST

Pappa Joes Obit

This was posted on my cousin AJ's profile, but I wanted to keep a copy close by... Joseph A. Vincennie Sr. 81, of Ormond Beach FL, passed away Tuesday April 22, 2008 at Florida Hospital Flagler. ...
Posted by stRay" on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:58:00 PST

In Loving Memory of Pappa Joe Vincennie

The phone rang late last night... I was already in bed sleeping and it woke me up. I looked at the caller ID. It was my sister Rebecca. Considering how late she was calling, I figured it wasn't good n...
Posted by stRay" on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:39:00 PST

Good Stuff For The MOST Part

So, here I sit at home, in front of my computer again... waiting for some program to compile and it dawns on me that I haven’t blogged in a little while, so with the ember burning fresh on my mi...
Posted by stRay" on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:48:00 PST

NBC News Coverage of Bowie Park Meeting

Here is the link to WSMV’s report on this week’s meeting regarding retail development on Bowie Nature Park property.http://www.wsmv.com/video/15710351/Interesting how Fairview’s Vice...
Posted by stRay" on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:22:00 PST

Blaaaah

Man, I dunno what’s up with me lately, but I’ve just been feeling "blah". I’m not depressed or anything, but just not feeling like myself and I don’t like it! I hope we get som...
Posted by stRay" on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:15:00 PST

Eeeeh

I am really kinda stressed out at work again. This project I am on is getting the best of me... Don’t get me wrong, it is a large and complicated deal, but it’s still kicking my butt! And ...
Posted by stRay" on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:42:00 PST

Home Sweet Home

Well, I am gonna make this one quick because I have things to do around here and I wanna get some time with Patti and the kiddos before it gets late. I had a great time in Colorado with the Vincennie ...
Posted by stRay" on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:18:00 PST

Last Day in Denver

The last 24 hours have been pretty cool. Spent a bunch of time with Mom again yesterday, until she got tired and then we dropped her off at the house. I would up getting kidnapped by my Aunts, Claire,...
Posted by stRay" on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:39:00 PST