Church Celebrity Sighting

I had my first real celebrity sighting since I moved to Atlanta...and it happend at church of all places. I was standing in the back of the church waiting for Regina to come back from picking Nick up from Sunday School and who should walk by but none other than the king of Blue Collar Comedy himself...Jeff Foxworthy. My brother thinks that everyone in Atlanta looks like Jeff Foxworthy but I did a little research today and it turns out that Mr. Foxworthy is actually a member of North Point Community church and a good friend and frequent Bible study partner of Pastor Andy Stanley. Go figure...

This is a story that I really identified with...I love the Peanuts Christmas and it really does kind of make me mad that kids today don't like it like I did when I was that age. Same goes for the Rankin-Bass "Rudolph", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the cartoon not the Jim Carrey movie), etc.

Parent Mad 6-Year-Old Didn't Like Peanuts Special

Fwd: Goodbye Old Friend

Sad news today...Peter Boyle has passed away today at the age of 71. If you're not familiar with his work, he is responsbile for one of my favorite TV characters of all time, the cranky/lovable Frank Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond". He will be missed

Another Christmas Fave

Here is a link to another video that I really like. This has been one of my faves for a while. Robert Smigel (of SNL and Conan O'Brien) has typically taken a very cynical view of Christianity and isn't usually shy about letting that show through in his work. At any rate, this is a piece that I actually found to be very poignant. Watch it all the way through before you make up your mind.

http://thetravisty.com/Saturday_Night_Live/mov/Real_Audio_-_Jesus_Today.htm

How I Met Jean-ValJean

This is a clip I ran across on "TheTube"...that's what I'm lobbying for all the cool people to start calling YouTube. Anyway, it's a clip featuring the folks from one of the shows that I think is very funny right now called "How I Met Your Mother".

Good Afternoon Mr. Kubrik

Please accept this as my gift to you. 4 minutes with perhaps the finest actor of this or any other generation. I give you Mr. Brian Atene.

minor changes

I decided I would make some changes to my blog. I like to do that every now and then just to say I've done something. I decided to change the font from Arial to Georgia. Because I live in Georgia. If there's a better way of choosing the appropriate font I certainly can't think of it.

Silent Night

Hey...check out my first video ever posted to Youtube. If you like it forward it to all of your friends, loved ones, dentists, real estate agents, co-workers, children, pastors, teachers, fellow students, etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8SUArNYhgQ

Where have I been?

I can't believe it's been 2 months since I posted anything out here...I'm so ashamed. Stay tuned though because I'll have something to share soon...I promise.

New Church

We may have found our church here in Atlanta. We've only been twice, but so far it seems like this is probably where we'll end up. It's called Northpoint Community Church and it's in Alpharetta, Ga. The pastor is a guy named Andy Stanley (you might have heard of him...he's written some books and I think speaks at Promise Keepers and stuff). Another one you may have heard of is Louie Giglio...he leads the singles service and is known for his affiliation with the Passion Praise conferences. It's kind of far away (it takes 35-40 minutes to get there, but really everything here does) and it's soooooo big. I mean big big. You may think you've seen big churches before (ala Central Christian), but seriously...this church makes that look like a start up in a middle school gym. The first time we visited a few weeks ago, we got there late and had to park literally 1/2 a mile away and walk to the church. When we got inside, the main auditorium and the overflow were both full and we had to sit on the floor at the back. The message was really good, but we didn't think we would go back because it was really kind of a hassle. We visited another church a few times which was ok, but I just had a weird feeling like maybe everything was just a little too slick. It's hard to explain...the preaching seemed ok and the music was good. I all just felt very plastic. I was getting a vibe from the praise band that just seemed phony. The whole time they were up there playing I felt like they were posing for a CD cover or something. So we went back to Northpoint today and even though it's more of a logistical challenge, it just feels a lot more right. Andy Stanley is such an engaging speaker. He's funny and really down to earth and just has a very conversational way about him almost like you're just sitting across the kitchen table having a conversation. It's just comes across as so accessible that you almost don't realize how powerful the thing's he's sharing are. Most of his messages from the past year are online...you can watch the video or listen to the audio if you have time. His message on Intimacy with God is especially good. He started a series today called "The Cross, the Star and the Crescent". It's about the relationship and historic connection between Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Really interesting stuff. The only part of this church that I'm worried about is that it's so big I really want to make sure we get connected. We still don't really know anyone here yet, so church will be our main avenue for meeting people and making friends. I miss our friends back home so much. It's nice though to kind of have the church question settled so at least we can start with some kind of a routine there.

confession

I have a confession to make. This won't mean much to some people, but I feel like I 've been living a lie and I have to unburden myself. I can't keep this inside any more. This is difficult for me to say because I've been hiding for so long now, I almost don't remember what it was like before I started lying. ok...here goes. I never liked Nirvana. I finally decided that I couldn't keep up the facade anymore when I was driving home this week and heard "All Apologies" for about the 9th time this week and I just snapped. They're lyrics are nonsense, sonically they were marginally creative at best. The best thing about Nirvana is that they gave Dave Grohl a band to play in until he formed the Foo Fighters (which are 10 times the band that Nirvana was). Even among the Seattle "grunge" scene of the early 90's Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were far superior in my mind. I'm sorry if this disappoints you, I never meant to hurt anyone. I know I'm supposed to like Nirvana and think that Kurt Cobain was some kind of revolutionary Rock and Roll Messiah who burned out too soon. I just never saw it. I hope we can still be friends.

*******EDIT***********
I need to make a few clarifications to this post - I'm not saying that Nirvana didn't have any positive affect on the musical landscape. I'm just saying that my favorite song that they ever did was a cover of a David Bowie Song ("The Man Who Sold the World") and not even one of their own. The best thing I can attribute to them is that they more or less ended the Hair Metal phase of the late 80's/early 90's. It had basically congealed into a lump of vodka and Aqua-Net and was likely circling the drain anyway, but if anything Nirvana put it and us out of our collective misery. I'm just.....soooo.....sick....of....hearing....them....on....the....radio. They served their purpose....but it's time to move on.

Shakeup at Victory Records

Interesting news from one of my current favorite bands, Hawthorne Heights. For everybody who thinks that being a rock star is all partys and free schwag, read this letter. I guess the moral of the story is just because you're on MTV doesn't mean you're rich.

The REAL Manifesto

Due to recent events we have decided to leave Victory Records. Our departure is anything but amicable. We have decided to leave Victory, in part due to the actions of the man who sits at the head of the label, Tony Brummel. Tony Brummel is a man that cares more about his ego and bank account than the bands themselves.

Many of you are familiar with the greed driven letters sent out by Mr. Brummel: his manifesto calling rock supporters to arms and virtual declaration of war on hip-hop and Ne-Yo done under the guise of a band
message; as well as the “street-team” letter which instructed people to re-arrange our CDs, putting them in higher visibility areas in stores. Unfortunately, the head of street-team, Abby Valentine, who understandably resigned following the incident, took the fall for this.

At the time of the letters we were branded as racists by some, all over a letter we did NOT write, targeting a genre which we have NOTHING against whatsoever. Because of these letters, our second album debuted at #3 on the charts, an incredible feat, which would normally be cause for joy, but now is tainted much like Barry Bonds’ statistics.

When questioned about the letters Tony was more upset that we had told the press that he actually wrote the letters (not us) because he was more worried about “rumors” surrounding Taking Back Sunday and Thursday’s exoduses being justified than the credibility and reputation of his current biggest band.

Couple these letters with him threatening the head program director at Q101 in Chicago for putting the new Taking Back Sunday song into rotation to the point in which the program director pulls “Saying Sorry” from rotation and you can see why we would more than question whether or not the head of our label cares about us or his own ego more.

Tony is a man whose greed knows no bounds. After selling more than 1.2 million copies of The Silence In Black and White and If Only You Were Lonely, we have never seen a single dollar in artist royalties from Victory Records. Tony will claim that we have not “recouped,” a term used by those in the music business which means the label has spent more money in advertising than has been made by CD sales. In fact questionable accounting practices are the culprit and we are in fact owed substantial amounts of money much like audits from Taking Back Sunday, Thursday and Atreyu have uncovered.

You may be wondering, why now? Why did they wait three years before saying something? Why did they sound happy in that interview??? Like being in an abusive relationship, we let certain things slide as we were afraid, as many of the bands on Victory are, to stick our neck out for fear of being “beaten,” in this case represented by the threat of not being promoted as has been the case with certain bands on the roster. We’re done being abused. The reasons stated above represent the final straw in a huge pile of hay that broke our backs.

Undoubtedly Tony will proclaim that we are ungrateful and our success was due solely to “his” promotional efforts. In reality, promotion is only a portion of the equation in a bands success. Even then, in our case especially, promotional efforts can be attributed the hard work of the band and staff at Victory, many of whom recently resigned or were fired due to differences with Tony. Non-stop touring, dedicated fans and songs (we challenge Tony to sell over 1 million blank CDs) account for the rest of the equation.

We’ve accomplished more in three years than most bands do in a lifetime and for that we are extremely grateful and consider ourselves very fortunate. Our situation with Tony Brummel is indicative of issues that all bands on Victory Records encounter on some level or another.

We have decided to remove ourselves from the negative situation so that we can continue to do what we love best and focus on writing and playing music to people that care about what we have created.

Hawthorne Heights

Ben Folds is the greatest

I've mentioned this before but I'm pretty sure it bears repeating. Ben Folds is probably the best songwriter working today. I've been listening to his EP's Sunny 16 and Super D the last couple of days. His lyrics can be a bit profane at times (i.e. he cusses like a sailor on some tracks) but there is an undeniable beauty there as well. Honestly, he speaks more truth in a lot of his music than some of what I hear on Christian radio these days. You could well find yourself having an epiphany or 2 about your life or the people in it by spending some time with Ben.

This is one of the songs that I find myself listening to over and over again. Not because I'm unhappy with my life...far from it. I just think it's a truth that many people don't want to accept. That you can come to a point where you start to say "is this as good as it gets? Is this all there is for me? Is this what I am going to be?" And sometimes the answer to that question is yes. You think your life is going to turn out one way and it turns out another. You think you're going to be a fireman when you grow up and end up being an investment banker or a cop or pouring coffee at Starbucks. And there's no big surprise waiting around the corner and there's no moment of truth in your life where it all falls into place. It is what it is...good or bad, it is what it is. The good news is if you have people around you who love you for what you are, it doesn't matter whether it turned out the way you planned. Do yourself a favor and go find this song on iTunes or Yahoo or something.


BEN FOLDS
Learn To Live With What You Are

I know that you're in there
I can see you
You're saying you're ok
I don't believe you
And now that the gig is off
The spell is broken
The fat lady sung
The president has spoken
These days that you were waiting for
Will come and go
Like any day
Just another day

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are

So freak out if you wanna
And I'll still be here
Don't call me for years and when you do
Yeah, I'll still be here
I'm not saying the effort is a waste of time – but
I Just love you for the things you couldn't change
Though you've tried
These hours of confusion they will soon expire
Like everything
Does

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you've forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are

Sometimes
Everything you've ever wanted
Floats above
sticking out its tongue and laughing
While everything
Anyone can ever need
Is down below
Waiting for you to notice

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you've forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are
You got to learn to live with what you
You got to learn to live with what you are

Perks of working for the company that owns NBC

I was in a training session today for a software tool that GE has available to it's employees. It was pretty uneventful until they used as an example of the tool the internal document site for the Conan O'Brian Show. Over my lunch hour I started exploring a little and came across the repository for the last 13 seasons worth of show transcripts. I found some classic "In the year 2000" bits which are some of my favorite things ever. Here are a couple of good ones.

1.IN THE YEAR 2000 AFTER GETTING MORE IN TOUCH WITH HIS FEMININE SIDE, MR.
T WILL OPEN A HAIR SALON CALLED, "I PRETTY THE FOOL."


2. IN THE YEAR 2000 ATHEISTS WILL WIN A LANDMARK COURT BATTLE MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO SAY GOD BLESS YOU AFTER SOMEONE SNEEZES.
INSTEAD, THE LAW WILL REQUIRE US TO SAY, "YO, ZIPPY, YOU JUST
SPRAYED ME WITH SOME NASTY."

3. IN THE YEAR 2000 KIRSTIE ALLEY WILL CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THAT SHE'S FULL, THEN SAY "PSYCH," AND EAT SIX REPORTERS.

This is a test

This is a test to see if the remote blogging feature I set up works. If it does, then hang on to your hats party people cuz my posts are about to get a lot more frequent. I'm bout to turn this mutha out...

Digging ditches

I heard something on the radio today that made me think. It was a commercial for some tech school and the guy was saying something about not wanting to dig ditches all his life. So I started thinking "does anybody really do that anymore?" People used to threaten their kids with that right? "You better stay in school or you're gonna be digging ditches for a living". But seriously, I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually digging a ditch. Then I started thinking what if you were ok with that? What if you were like "whatever...I'm cool with digging ditches...pass me a shovel and clock me in bro". So you're thinking that you beat the system and life is sweet. You get to party all through the 10th grade and then just slide right into your ditch digging career and it's all good because you don't need much money and you don't really have a problem slinging that shovel. Just think how pissed you'd be after you dropped out of school and the realization began to dawn on you that contrary to all your father's threats...there are no jobs available in the ditch digging sector.

Some random musings on Rich Mullins

A poet for the common man...That's what they used to say about Rich Mullins. I always sort of thought that was kind of a cheesy marketing line, but the more I listen to him the more I think that is such an accurate way to describe what he was/is. September 17th will mark the 9th anniversery of his death. I found a Wiki page that contains several quotes that have been attributed to Rich. Here are 2 of my favorites -

"If you've ever known the love of God, you know it's nothing but reckless and it's nothing but raging. Sometimes it hurts to be loved, and if it doesn't hurt it's probably not love, may be infatuation. I think a lot of American people are infatuated with God, but we don't really love Him, and they don't really let Him love them. Being loved by God is one of the most painful things in the world, it's also the only thing that can bring us salvation and it's like everything else that is really wonderful, there's a little bit of pain in it, little bit of hurt."

"Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken."

Jdubz referenced this in one of his posts the other day and it's absolutely worth a listen. This is a tribute that 20 - The Countdown Magazine put together after he died.

I recently downloaded a cd called Rich Mullins - Here in America off of Yahoo Music the other day. It's basically a bunch of songwriter demos and live recordings of some of Rich's earlier songs. What I realized as I was listening to the live tracks was that I actually miss hearing him speak as much as I miss hearing him sing. One of the things I loved best about seeing Rich in concert was the things he would say before and after the songs. He wasn't the best singer in the world, sometimes his voice was rough and he couldn't hit all the notes but when he spoke it came from his heart. Every time he spoke I was humbled by how unimpressed he was with himself and his celebrity status. These songs are rough and the sound quality is poor but they may be the most beautiful music I've ever heard. If you can find it do yourself a favor and pick it up. You won't regret it.

Rest in Peace Mate...

Sad news today...Steve Irwin, TV's beloved Crocodile Hunter was killed in a freak accident with a stingray while diving off the Great Barrier Reef. I didn't really watch his show very much but I have to say I always kind of respected that crazy little dude. Whatever you thought about his schtick...you have to admit he had a set of berries on him. For what it's worth, I predicted his death many years ago. I never said when, but I always said someday one of these animals that he was chasing around was going to kill him. Granted, I would have thought his demise would come in the mouth of a giant croc or a king cobra or something and not getting stabbed through the heart with a Stingray barb. From what I hear, stingrays are really very docile. I got to pet one at the Georgia Aquarium a few weeks ago. That's sort of like getting killed by puppy. Alright... a puppy with a razor sharp venemous tail but you get my point. He had probably put his hands on hundreds of stingrays over the years and never been stabbed through the heart by one. I'm not sure what the moral of the story is here. Maybe there's not one...I guess when it's your time to go it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing. He could have just as easily choked to death while enjoying a juicy Kangaroo steak if he had decided not to go scuba diving that day.

You had to know I was gonna see this movie...

I'm starting a new feature here in Tbone's world - movie reviews! I like to watch movies, I like to write, I like to write about movies...so it only makes sense. The movie I am reviewing this week is, you guessed it, Snakes on a Plane. That was actually pretty much the whole review right there. What else can you say about a movie called Snakes on a Plane? It was as bad and therefore as good as you probably imagined it would be. It's got Samuel L. Jackson in it so that's something right there. Other than that...yup...it's pretty much about a bunch of snakes...on a plane. A bunch of people get bit on all sorts of body parts. Lots of snakes hiding in all sorts of nooks and crannies and compartments just waiting to jump out and bite somebody on the lip or the eye or something creative. It's not going to win any awards and it's pretty short on anything socially redeeming but let's face it, You don't go to see a movie like this expecting to see the next Godfather or Casablanca. You go to see (as Sam Jackson would say) mutha****** snakes on a mutha******* plane. And that's exactly what you get...

Broken Hearted Entrance...

This is a passage from a poem by Oscar Wilde that I ran across today. It's an interesting take on the concept of being broken hearted before God. A lot of people who used to mean an awful lot to me, and several more who still do are facing some form of heartbreak right now...I hope it's over soon. I hope they don't hurt for long...


Ah! happy they whose hearts can break
And peace of pardon win!
How else may man make straight his plan
And cleanse his soul from Sin?
How else but through a broken heart May Lord Christ enter in?

For more on this concept, read my partner in crime, Jdubx's post today...he also is a fan of posting lyrics to songs that he finds particularly meaningful. The one he posted today is really good one...

a retraction

I have changed my mind about Boston...this is in fact a very cool city. I switched to a different hotel...much nicer than the one I was in. and I am now in downtown Boston...right by Harvard Yard...sorry, Havahd Yahd. I'm on the 15th floor...my room overlooks the Charles River...great view of the Boston skyline I ate an incredible meal (Atlantic Fish Company). The city was just alive...people walking everywhere, pubs and bars all lit up like Christmas, I was walking down the street just thinking how amazing it was that 100 years ago people were walking down the same streets looking at some of the same buildings. I saw the steeple of the Old North chapel (from Paul Revere's ride..."one if by land, two if by sea"). I'm going to try to get out and see some of the more historic sites tomorrow. There's a graveyard where John Hancock and some of the founding fathers are buried. These pics aren't great...but here's a few I snapped today.

The Silence of God

I don't know if anybody gets tired of me posting the lyrics to songs that I like out here or not...frankly though it's my blog and you should humor me. After all, I'm taking time out of my busy day here to share my heart with you people. Sorry if that sounded harsh...it's late and I'm tired and lonely. Anyway, this is the Andy Peterson song I was listening to on the plane when I was overcome by that perfect storm of homesickness, music and the view out the airplane window.

The Silence of God

It's enough to drive a man crazy; it'll break a man's faith
It's enough to make him wonder if he's ever been sane
When he's bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
And the heaven's only answer is the silence of God

It'll shake a man's timbers when he loses his heart
When he has to remember what broke him apart
This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God

And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they've got
When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
'Cause we all get lost sometimes...

There's a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
And He's kneeling in the garden, as silent as a Stone
All His friends are sleeping and He's weeping all alone

And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot
What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought
So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God

On MIT, flying and a general feeling of sadness...

I'm writing this post from my hotel room in Boston. This is my first trip to "Beantown" and I have to say, so far I'm really not impressed. It's a very overwhelming city. Driving here is all bridges and tunnels and ramps and...roundabouts. Yeah, that was a new one for me too. My hotel is a dive and it's in a really crappy part of town. Picture Matt Damon's neighborhood in Good Will Hunting or if you prefer a different frame of reference...Sean Penn's house in Mystic River. It's a freaking Sheraton which I've always thought were nice, but I'm actually afraid to walk out to my car after dark here. I'm switching to the Doubletree tomorrow.

My training class is in Cambridge, right next to the MIT campus and as I was driving back to my hotel tonight I saw all these people walking around the campus...some students, some professors and I was struck by the fact that I was quite possibly in the presence of some of the smartest people in the world. That's a little intimidating if you think about it...

When I was flying into Boston, I was looking out the window of the plane and listening to Andrew Peterson and I was overcome with this feeling of melancholy. I'm not sure if it was the music, or that I was feeling sad about leaving my family for this trip, or maybe that the move to Atlanta is starting to hit home now. (I've been too busy to be homesick so far...it's starting to catch up with me though.) Anyway, I took some pictures out of the airplane with my Treo. I didn't think they were going to turn out but these actually aren't bad. When we pulled through the clouds, the sky was a kind of blue I'd only dreamt of. I've heard of people describing something as so beautiful that it made them feel sad, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced it for myself.

Georgia on my mind...

As anyone who ever reads this blog knows, I recently moved to Atlanta...Hot-lanta if you will. One thing I've learned is that nobody calls it "The ATL"...that's only on TV apparently. Other than being so far away from friends and loved ones, we really like it here. It's hot and humid, but it's not unbearable. The scenery here is really pretty compared to Kansas. There are so many trees and hills. I work on the 14th floor of my building and there is a really nice view of the mountains off in the distance. The traffic is as horrible as I had heard, but since I knew what to expect I think maybe it's not so bad. There is a lot of stop and go driving on the freeway, but as long as there aren't any wrecks I can make it to work in about 30-35 minutes. The hours are longer here...I'm not getting home until around 7 most nights, and (like tonight) I have to log in and do a little work from home from time to time. It's not my favorite arrangement, but all in all it's not bad. The boys started school this week and they are both doing really well. Nicky was so excited to start Kindegarten...Conner's not quite as fired up about 2nd grade. They're both making lots of friends though so we're glad about that. Well, gotta get back to work...I'll write more later.

George Bush singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Thanks to http://onegoodmove.org and Rx @ http://thepartyparty.com/

A cold and broken hallelujah

Hallelujah
by Leonard Cohen

I heard there was a secret chord
That david played and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do you
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ....


Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah .... .


Baby i've been here before
I've seen this room and i've walked this floor
I used to live alone before i knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ....


Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you
But remember when i moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah


Well, maybe there's a God above
But all i've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ....

ooooooooooouuuuuucccchhhhh!!!!!!!

If you've ever wondered how much it would hurt to get a large tattoo on the back of your calf, here's a quick little equation you can use to figure it out. Take the worst pain that you've experienced in the past 10 years or so and multiply by 5. It's been 5 years or so since I got my first tattoo and apparently I had forgotten the amount of pain that's involved. Thankfully the guy who did mine was really cool and definitely knew what he was doing. It looks awesome and it only took him around half an hour or so. He basically did the outline today and when I save up the money he's going to color it in for me. I actually kind of like it the way it is though...I'm not sure if I'm going to color it in or not.

I'm so stoked...

For two reasons...first of all, I'm getting inked tomorrow. I'm getting this Japanese Koi fish tattooed on the back of my leg. It's going to be bad a$$. Here's a picture of what it will roughly look like. Mine will most likely be a black and grey piece since I don't have enough loot to go all color like I would like to. At any rate, it's going to hurt like a mamma jamma but it will be worth it when it's done.

2nd, I'm going to see the concert that I've been waiting to come to Wichita since J-Dog turned me on to the hardcore music scene back in '04 with Demon Hunter. Sunday night Underoath, Poison the Well and As Cities Burn are going to freaking tear down the Cotillion. I seriously can't wait...

some random thoughts

First of all...there's a new baby at our house. It's so awesome, I forgot how incredible they are. If you don't have one, you need to get one...go ahead...I'll wait. It will literally take your breath away the first time you hold him/her. Ours is a girl. Rather than put up my own pics you can see them here...http://www.xanga.com/justcallmemaya. When I was watching the nurse clean her up I was just thinking "I can't believe you can make these things at home" like she was a kit that I bought at Hobby Lobby or something. Anyway, she is amazing...

2nd, I had kind of a profound thought today when I was having lunch with my son at his school. I was sitting at the table with him and all of his little friends when I noticed a kid sitting all alone at a table across the cafeteria. I asked Conner why that little boy was sitting all by himself. He said "That's Sammy. He hits people". The kid sitting across from me chimed in "He screams too". Even though it's really sad that this little boy has to eat all by himself, in the end it boils down to a basic truth that can be applied in most situations that our world faces today. Here it is...If you scream and hit people you have to eat by yourself. Think about how much better our world would be if people would just stop screaming and hitting people. It's a simple concept kids...Think Globally, Act Locally.

Thirdly, I came across something that at first glance was so nasty I couldn't believe I was seeing it. I'm going to show you two screen shots from the MSN web page. The first I have titled Nasty.jpg (for obvious reasons). You will notice the area in the lower left hand corner that has been circled in red. The combination of the visible portion of the picture and the tagline "Escape to the Beach" were what caught my eye. Take a careful look at picture one and tell me it's not the nastiest thing you've ever seen. Then scroll down and look at picture number 2, which is what was visible on the web page once you scrolled down a bit. In the end, it turns out to be a horrible misinterpretation of a partial image. That being said, it would behoove the folks at MSN to pay a little more attention to things like screen size and resolution and how things will look if you can only see half of the picture.

Picture one (click to enlarge)



Picture 2 (Click to enlarge)

These guys are coming to Wichita next Sunday night and I can't wait...

http://www.underoath777.com

Dog Whisperer

Thanks to J-Dub for calling Comedy Central and personally requesting that repeat of the episode of South Park where Cartman's mom calls in the Dog Whisperer because he's out of control. That was muey bueno.

Happy Birthday to me

With the annual celebration of the day I was born coming up on Sunday I've been hearing lot's of people ask me what I would like for my birthday. In order to make this easy on everybody, I've decided to post a list online. Think of it as a registry of sorts. And remember...I'm doing this for you...to make your life easier.

1. A new hat - here's a couple of options. Hurley and Independent Truck Company hats are cool. So is Volcom and Spitfire (Yeah..it's skater stuff and no I've never ridden a skateboard in my life. Don't worry about it.) Also KU or Wichita State. I wear a size 7 3/4...I have a large melon
2. I need a new wallet. But not some old man wallet... maybe one with with a chain on it or something. Here's a good example of something I would be down with.
3. Currency (preferably U.S.)
4. Books are good

Don't spend a bunch of money...and don't feel like you have to get me something. These are just some suggestions for the people who've asked me.

Increase the peace...

one more thing

one thing I forgot to mention...I saw MC Hammer in the Atlanta airport. He was just walking through concourse C in a pure white suit and white shoes. No entourage or anything - just chillin' - I'm 98% sure it was him.

twice as sad

I was at the mall today and I saw something that struck me as really sad. I saw an Emo kid in a wheelchair. She was the real deal too - My Chemical Romance hoody, black hair, checked vans, the whole 9 - just rollin through Town East in her wheelchair. So not only was she full of angst - she was crippled too. Doesn't that just seem twice as sad as just being a regular old depressed emo kid?

it was a rough night...

We're gonna just pick up where we left off...you haven't missed much. So anyway... yesterday started out pretty good but ended very, very ugly. I had to fly to Cincinnati for a business trip on Thursday. Everything was going well. Nice rental car, good meals, great hotel...even the flight to Cincinnati (through Houston by the way - how stupid is that? That's like driving through Dallas to get to Wichita from Derby) was pretty good. A little rough but nothin' too fierce. I got in to town at a decent hour and had a pretty good meal and a good night's sleep. The flight home on Friday evening is where things start to go south for ol' T-bone. First of all, I'm flying on Delta. Do yourself a favor and just never do this. I would suggest that you either rent a car or stow away in the steerage section of a Chinese junk steamer or a luxury ocean liner like they did in Titanic. You could even hop a freight train like Alf and Willie Tanner did in that classic episode. Any of these options would be preferable to flying on Delta airlines.

My flight from Cinci to Atlanta was on a 767 which is a nice plane, but unless you're in first class you are so cramped that there's literally not even enough space between you and the seat in front of you to fully open a laptop computer, let alone cross your legs or more more than a few inches. And since the seat next to me was of course occupied, I was so cramped that I couldn't even keep my seat up - I kept mashing the button to recline it with my leg. This resulted in me trying to balance myself on one cheek during the takeoff and landing so I didn't incur the wrath of the stewardess who was not @$#%@# around as they say regarding FAA safety guidelines. Also the plane took off half an hour late because there weren't any pilots in Atlanta who could fly the plane to Newark for it's next leg so we were actually on the runway waiting for another pilot to drive into the airport so he could get on our plane and fly to Atlanta with us.

So when we finally get to Atlanta I've got about 20 minutes to get from my gate in terminal T to terminal C...(if you're keeping score at home, that's a long freaking hike even with the trams and moving sidewalks). So I get to my gate with about 30 seconds to spare before they start boarding my flight from Atlanta to the ICT. I get on board and prepare for a 2 and half hour flight with my knees in my chest. In the meantime, the Gold Coast coconut shrimp and the Gin and Tonic(s) I had at the Outback Steakhouse in the Cincinnati airport have combined in my stomach to create something akin to Hurricane Katrina. I'm talking Category 5 gut-busting belly cramps. I was about to ask the stewardess if she had any Midol (but based on her attitude I'm pretty sure she's never heard of the stuff).

Needless to say by the time we went wheels down in Wichita, I was ready to go home and hopefully catch the end of the KU game. So I go to the baggage claim to claim my borrowed suitcase (thanks K-dog). If you've ever waited at a baggage claim after a flight, you'll be familiar with the scene I'm about to describe. I'm standing there watching all of the suitcases come through the plastic curtain and down the conveyer. After a few minutes of not seeing my bag, I start to get nervous but I'm not panicking yet. Then I start to realize that I've seen the same bag twice now and still haven't seen mine. I start to get that sick feeling in my stomach now (this is not related to the shrimp). I realize at this point that even though I made my connection in Atlanta apparently my bag hasn't. So I walk to the other end of the airport to the Delta counter and there is nobody there. The lights are off, it is now approximately 10:30pm. I call Delta Airlines 800 number to report my bag missing. I am told by Haji at their call center in Bangalore, India that I have to open a missing bag claim at the airport and can't do it over the phone. I tell him "There is nobody here from Delta. The lights are off and they've gone home." I spend the next 30 minutes arguing this point with him. He tells me his supervisor is trying to contact somebody at Delta. I tell him "I can hear the phone ringing at the Delta ticket counter. There is nobody there to answer it." This goes on for another 10 minutes or so and they finally decide that I'm telling the truth and decide to open a lost baggage case for me over the phone. So I leave the airport expecting that my bag will probably be delivered to me this morning. It's 8:20pm right now and as of 30 minutes ago Delta still doesn't know where my bag is. The upshot is that if they can't find it within 5 days I can file a claim to be reimbursed for the contents (which include my black suit, a new dress shirt, two ties, my dress wingtips, my watch, my travel case, a pair of jeans, and 2 t-shirts). And according to their website, it will only take them 8-10 weeks to mail me a check.

Be sure and check out my new website - www.deltaairlinescansuckmyback.com. It will be up soon...

Brokeback Mountain redux

ok, I don't know what happened to it but my post from Saturday dissapeared. I won't even try to re-create it because it was lightning in a bottle...pure comic gold that can't be respun. I will repost the video clips because I think they're clever. As an added bonus, I'm going to link a couple of other clips that I think are also very clever. It's a really brilliant illustration of how deceptive video can be especially in the editing process. Just remember...when you watch a movie...you're seeing what they want you to see not necessarily what really happend. Enjoy

Because I promised I would

Ok, I don't really have an awful lot to say right now but I have to make myself do this or I'll get out of the habit again and I know none of us want that. I'm listening to Bob Dylan right now. I almost forgot how much I used to love listening to him when I was younger. I bought a tape of Dylan's Greatest Hits with one of my first paychecks from McD's when I was 16. I still have it in a shoebox somewhere. That's pretty rad I think. In other news, my bro graduated from Police school - he's out on the streets protecting and serving as I type this. My youngest son prays for him every night. His prayer the other night went something like this - "Dear Jesus please help uncle Justin not to get killed and please help me not to get stung in the eye by a bee - Amen". Amen, indeed.