Happy New Year.

And so shall it be.

the unthinkable happened

Prepare the way.

Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is ready to seperate the chaff from the gain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn, but burning the chaff with never ending fire.

I think you know who I'm talking about... Yup, it's Tanner.

I hope Jesus still lets me into Heaven.

the first time that you opened your eyes

Tan's word is law.


Shooter Jennings
Put The O Back In Country

The title track describes Shooter's brand of country as "a little country and a little rock and roll/a little neil young and a little george jones/a little merle haggard and a little bit of the stones/a little bit of cash and a whole lotta waylon." I think that's a pretty fitting description actually, but if you want to just call it Outlaw Country, that's probably easier. The main point of this cd is to not be radio country, at least by today's standard. The irony here is that the title track sounds the most like radio country out of anything here. Aside from a case of title-trackitus, I really enjoy this album. They do a great job of making a solid country cd with some nice rock guitar here and there. Every track is definately solid enough to stand on it's own, but my favorites are 4th of July (the single, I think), Sweet Savannah, Manifesto No. 1, and the hidden track My Song for You (which is basically why I bought this cd in the first place). If you're thinking about buying this (Tan), I really can't think of any reason not to, especially since it's only $9 at Target.

Alright, there ya go. Now that I've completely changed your life with the best review ever written, The OC is calling me. Later gators.

god knows it's hard to let someone new in

Careful planning was needed.

Ok, I don't have much to say here. I bought a country cd today that's not Johnny Cash. I picked up Shooter Jennings "Put the O Back in Country". I really enjoy it so far. It's not like most radio country you here, more like old-school "outlaw" country. I'll listen some more and maybe give a full review, which basically means you'll never hear about it from me again. I just shaved, something I haven't done in a week or so. Suffice it to say "I hurt myself today." Peace be with you.

happy birthday, goodbye

In Like A Lion

The following is copied from my Xanga, mainly 'cause I don't want to have to look at my ugly mug anymore.

So Rock 30 moved, and now we're up in food city. You should come check it out, we're next to the north Subway. I might even dare saying... it's spacious.

I'm listening to the new Relient K EP, and so far it's pretty good. I don't know that I can recommend $10 for 7 songs though. It does make me wish they'd put out a solely acoustic cd, because all their acoustic versions of songs are golden. I'll finish listening to it, and let you know my final verdict...

Ok I'm done! I was hoping it would be almost all slow pretty songs, and it very much is, so I'm happy with it. Still, $10 for 7 songs it pretty pricey. I'll leave it up to you.

you'll never know what it could have been

One for the ladies.


I went with a new style.

I'm thinking this should really turn things around for me. What do you think?

don't abandon the ship

WASD

I've just made a startling discovery. You know how when you type your fingers are supposed to be on the A, S, D, F, J, K, L, and : keys? Well, here's how my left hand rests on the keys: SHIFT, A, W, D and SPACE. Yeah, I don't ever play computer games, don't worry about it.

all hands on deck

Audio/Visual

I just got done watching the last Bleach concert ever on a digital video digital. It was flippin' sweet, but also very sad. I wish Bleach was still a band, so I could keep looking forward to their new cds, and go to their shows. You know what would be really sweet? If you could get rid of a band that exists now, and bring back a band that doesn't exist anymore! I think I would get rid of Green Day (because I hate amatuer politics), and bring back Bleach. Let's all play! Who would you get rid of and bring back?

what will your anthem be?

I want you to be here here here here here here.

So what have I been up to lately? Yes, I know you didn't ask, but I want to get this freakin' picture off my screen. Anyway, I played the (large mouth) bass for The Fire at the (Honda) Civic Center last wednesday, and it was pretty rad. I'm pretty sure we were better than Motley Crue also. I just found out that my credit limit got raised, so now I can spend even more money that's not mine! But the biggest news of all is that I just received Elkland's cd Golden! Do you like perfectly crafted pop songs? If the answer is yes, or something else that means yes, please go to their myspace and listen to them. After that tell me what you think! Oh, and I got Knife of Dreams (#11) also. I bet you both care, and know what that is (unless you're Air John).

there is one pulse

The leap home.


It's back.

Not even 'cause I wanted it really. I'm just that lazy. But now that's it's here, it might as well stay awhile.

i wish you never had anything better to do

The Way of the Earth

My life is about to get a lot better. Why? Because I'm about to eat apple crisp. Yeah, I know. You wish you were me. Before I eat this delightful treat, I'm going to rant and rave.

I hate it when bands release "Deluxe" editions of their cds after the regular one. It's so flippin' lame. All that does it give the people who actually bought it in the first place the shaft. Ok, one example prove my point: When The Killers came out with their deluxe cd, Brandon Flowers came to my house. He then told me "We're coming out with a deluxe version of our cd." Then he flipped me off and left. Anyway, now life will get better with apple crisp.

safe from me

Foreverandever etc.

In case you're wondering... Yes, I think you should absolutely get new Crowder.

perhaps more accurately, i'm trying to make you sing

The World You Want.

So I just stared at my computer speaker for a good 20 seconds before I realized it wasn't a clock. Night everybody.

don't wake me, i plan on sleeping in

Gateway Shuffle

I just wanted to mention that Cowboy Bebop r0x0rz teh b0x0rz!!!11

p.s. Sigur Ros also has a new cd out on Tuesday, and you can listen to the whole thing here.

nothing good ever comes from the earth

The Ministry of Archers.

Alright, time to review the new Joy E. CD - The Ministry of Archers.

Ok, so I didn't really know what to expect with this one, and I still haven't made up my mind about it. But here are my thoughts so far. If I were to compare it to any of Ronnie Martin's other stuff, I'd say it resembles The White Songbook most out of all his other cds. He's gone away (just a little) from the simplicity of Tick Tock Treasury and Hello, Mannequin and gone back to using more layers and such. There's definitely more of an "edge" than on anything else of his I've heard. The lyrics are pretty dark, and sometimes even kinda graphic (A Hatchet, A Hatchet). Ronnie's vocals on this CD are easily the best I've heard from him, so that's a big plus. One thing that kinda sucks is that out of the 10 tracks, 3 are instrumentals/segues, so you basically get 7 songs. Yeah, not cool. Anyway, time to wrap this up since it's already past 3:00am. My favorite songs are The Ministry of Archers, A Hatchet, A Hatchet, and Rickety Trickery. If you were to ask me "Pete, I'm looking to start listening to Joy E., should I buy The Ministry of Archers?" I'd say "No, you shouldn't. Buy The Tick Tock Treasury or Hello, Mannequin instead."

i have to make you realize

The name game.

I just got Nintendogs, but I don't know what to name my puppy. I'll let you know what I come up with (maybe).

Update: His name is Guy, and he's flippin' adorable! He already knows how to sit, and lay down. He's pretty much awesome. Also, I burned my hand and it hurts like the dickens.

i'm not sure that it's worth it

It was a carefully planned moment of spontaneity.


It's a different color now.

on distant shores

Camping = Rad.

Suffice it to say, this has not been a good week. Things that suck happened. Fortunately, things that are rad also happened. Camping.


Bonfire.

Lee and Adam invited me to have some good times, and good times were had. Brats, bonfire, soda, smores, being stupid, playing guitars, telescope, staying up late, being really stupid, tents, etc. It was great.

are you against this?

Shoe update.

So I've been told that my things are apparently under the stairs. What that basically means to me is that my things have ceased to exist.

i'll do my best to comply

I've lost my shoes.

Ok, so I came here (1314 Apache St.) with three boxes, and now I can only find one. What teh crap? I hope you like music, 'cause there're a heck of a lot of CD's coming out in the next few months. Joy E., Death Cab, Juliana, Switchfoot, Chowder-Head, Dashboard (I think)... Yeah, it's a lot to take in, sorry. Anywho, time for worky.

help from the future

Work All Day (sleep all night)

Ho-kay, so here's teh moving update. We're about half-way the heck out of dodge. Mostly bigger stuff and cleaning at this point. It's weird, I'm moving back to my parents house for awhile, but I've never lived there before. It's like I'm moving home, but also not. Right. Anyway, I gots ta go rollerblading with the g's in the hood. Peace out.

we might as well be strangers

I'm getting bored of sneezing.

Ok, I'll admit it... I enjoy the occasional sneeze, but this is getting absurd.

i can't win

Put the kids to bed.


Make of this what you will...

if it were up to me

Independence Day Two-Thousand-and-Five


The fireworks fly.

I hope you all had a happy Fourth of July.

just watch the fireworks

The end of an era.

Today was a sad day indeed. In addition to paying rent (which makes the day sad enough as is is), I put in the official word that we're leaving Funville. I tried to deny, to fight it, but I just couldn't. Nothing could be done. Now I'll be moving back home I guess. May the fun never stop, and the ville never end.

is anyone happy?

A painful Haiku.

There, by the river
a crash, a bruise, a great blight
on Peter's knee. Ouch.

that wound will never heal

Taters, precious.

Now I'm 21. What are you going to do about it?

a normal day?

The pants, the pants, the pants!

I'm back from Jamestown, and the verdict is in: E3 > Jamestown. Now, I'm not saying JT didn't try. They even had some old guys playing metal covers in front of a bar, but unlike JT, E3 managed to keep me entertained for more than 5 minutes at a time. Better luck next year, JT.

i take the blame, you get the shame

Ranch-tastic.

Well, I'm in Jamestown. So far, I think E3 was better, but I've got a couple days here yet. Rock 30 here is dang sweet though, you should check it out sometime. I don't have anything else to say tonight, I'll probably post tomorrow when I'm supposed to be working. Later gators.

i'm quite aware we're dying

Different ratios.

In the morning I'm going to Jamestown. It may or may not be as exciting as E3, but we'll see. If you're in the neighborhood gimme a call. Heck, gimme a call anyway.

i'd make you up

everything is wrong.

It keeps getting stupider.


The big winner.

Yeah, so Andrew is going to be the proud owner of the 9th Xbox 360 in the country. The way this week has been going, I can't imagine the craziness that will go down tomorrow.

Oh, also: We're heading back tomorrow night at midnight, so no more posts until I get back, sorry. Wish me luck.

lately i'm alright

The unexpected.


I actually got to go... to Star Wars, you idiot.

I know it's more than likely pathetic, but I feel like a chapter of life is done now. Oh well. Peace out.

a page of life, torn out

Here's where I am.



the dogs are barkin'

Farewell Old Friends.

In a matter of minutes I'll be on my way to LA (too hot) for E3. I bid you farewell. Hopefully I'll come back a new man.

as for me and my countrymen

Cinco de Mayo is not my day.

Ok, here's a weird thought I had (if this doesn't make sense, ask me in person sometime). How do you undecide something? Say you want to undecide something you've decided, but you can't, because you've already decided. How does that work? Does that even make sense? I'm sorry, Death Cab puts me in a mood. So does an awful day. I hope you had a safe and happy Cinco de Mayo. On a brighter note, I bought three Amp energy drinks that cost me $27 each.

i need you so much closer

Sunset Sailing.

I finished the first season of The OC the other night. It was sad. Anyway, the reason I've called you all here is to tell you something very important. Last night I dreamt that Air John came back and tried to kill me. Air John, please don't kill me. Think of the root beer.

there's no logic to it at all

A Year and the Same.

What's new you ask? Oh you know, the usual. Playing Dynasty Warriors 5, watching The OC, stuff like that. I guess you can make fun of me about The OC if you want, I just seem to enjoy it. Puts me in some kind of mood, almost like the walks. Hmm... The Walks. That could be a good song title, too bad I suck at writing songs. Oh yeah, I wrote a song called Long Walk didn't I? It would be silly to write a song called The Walks then, wouldn't it? I guess you can make fun of me about that too, it's cool. It's late, and I'm tired. Problem is, I don't really care to sleep right now. I had a Red Bull this morning, and it tasted like carbonated piss. I don't really have any experience with that sort of thing, it's just kinda seems like that's what it'd be like. Problem is, I'll probably have another in the morning. Yuck. Sorry, this isn't entertaining at all, much less interesting. I'm going to go, see you.

the unthinkable happened

Ugh.

I'm sick, and I just tried to put the milk in the cupboard where the cereal goes. On the brightside, I have to go to work.

I tried to steal the moon from the sky

Proof, if you need it.


Told you I got a camera.

call me liar

Sunrise, Sunset.

Hey folks. Yesterday I got a digital camera, hooray! We took lots of pictures, but fortunately, none of them were silly at all. Now I'm going to go work at the Smage for seven hours, which I don't really appreciate. When I'm there I'm going to finish book ten, which makes me very sad.

You've lost your socks

Who's space?

I have a My Space page if you care. I don't know if I'll use a lot, but it's over there on the left if you're interested.

childhood fantasy

My favorite time

You know those creepy guys you see walking around town late at night with hoodies on? Yeah, apperently I'm one of them. I came to this realization when I was out walking at ten tonight with my hoodie up. The downside to this is that people are generally bothered by you. The upside is that the other creepy guys don't bother you. Walks are an interesting thing for me. Whenever I go for a walk I either end up in a really good mood, or really, really sad. It seems pretty random too, like sometimes I'll go and expecting to end up sad, but I end up happy, and vice versa. Wow, now that I've bored you all, we'll change the subject.

I got the new Mae cd today "The Everglow". I've listened to it once, and here are my thoughts so far. It's a good cd. There aren't really any tracks on it that I don't like except for Cover Me, which I hate and wish didn't exsist. I think that every aspect of that song sucks. The other songs are good, especially the piano heavy ones (which I'm a sucker for). I think I like their first cd better though (just remember, this is after just one listen, and could change). Allow me to explain: Mae isn't really a rock band. I mean, they can write some sweet rock songs, but their strong point is the ones that aren't completely rockers. Destination: Beautiful was a good mix of soft, mid, and rock songs. The Everglow is almost all solid songs, but some of them can sound the same if you're not paying attention. I don't listen to Mae for their rock songs, I listen to them for the pretty stuff. So there we go. I guess you could call that a review, but not a very good one. Peace out.

was walking with you

Hoppy Easter!

*Happy

Through the Night.

Well, well, well... Here we are again. I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. I heard The Elms on the radio tonight, it was a real treat. Man, I sometimes forget how dang good they are. That's a mistake I'll not make twice. Seriously though, if you have never listened to Truth, Soul, Rock and Roll, you're missing out big time. I guess they... OMG!!!!!!11 Their DVD is out! I gotta go, later!

Three strands of wire

Sparkplug Minuet

It's always been a goal of mine to only blog if it's entertaining in some way or another, but I seem to have gotten away from that. I don't think the people I was trying to entertain read this anymore anyway though, so this will just turn into Normalville or something. Right now I'm listening to The Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack, and it's a delight. I'm also sitting here in front of my computer doing nothing, like I do with pretty much most of my time when I'm not working. That kinda bums me out, but this music kinda counteracts it. Weird post. If you haven't seen The Royal Tenenbaums, please do both of us a favor and watch it.

I wish you'd have done this for me when I was a kid

Everything you know is wrong.

Well, remember all that talk about U2? Wanna know where those tickets went? Up in smoke, that's where. Turns out I never even had a chance, and the show basically sold out in the pre-sale. It sucks, but I guess I can't say I'm surprised. That's just how I roll.

It's never enough

List of Life.

Well folks, in less than 8 hours, I'll be ordering tickets to see U2. I'm incredibly excited, because one of my life goals is to see U2. I know, that's incredibly sad, but also incredibly true. The really sad part is that list of life goals consists of like, one other thing I can think of. Yup, incredibly sad. I guess it could be worse. One of my life goals could be to see Simple Plan or something.

God bless the broken road

It's on, babies!

Adam has recently stated that "I have to be the boringest person alive." I'm going to have to politely disagree with you there, Adam. See, this is how it is, I am the boringest person alive. Ask anyone, they'll tell you. The rest of this blog will prove it. It's 2:00 in the morning, so I need to go to bed. That was all that I had to say prior to reading Adam's blog. See? The boringest person is me.

Hope.

It's funny when people say "don't get your hopes up"; 'cause it's all about hope.

-Michael J. Fox.

Depressing.

Sometimes I read random blogs, and man are they depressing. Some of them are in spanish though, so I don't know if those are depressing or not. Insightful.

I suppose.

I should let you know, I have internet now. Now I'm going to work, which is my favorite thing ever. See you later.

Truth.

"Thankfully, the Lord still works in our lives in spite of everything we do to prevent it."

- Ronnie Martin

Thirty-something.

So I did that thing Air John has on his blog (but didn't want to post the massive thing here), and the results are in. I'm flaming thirty-three. I'm not sure how surprised I am though.

Refreshing.

Looks like Anberlin has some new songs up. The song "Symphony of Blasse" is what make that worth mentioning though. What's so special about it you ask? It's slow. Yeah, I'm surprised as you are. I kept waiting for the loud guitars and distortion to kick in, but they didn't. Not once. It's a pretty cool song I guess. Nothing amazing, but a good sign at least.

I heart snow.

Still in Moorhead. This time in the computer lab.

Apt. is short for apartment.

What's new you ask? I live in an apt. with Tan. I work frequently. I'm posting this from Adam's dorm at Concordia. Merry Christmas.

QuickTime.

Man, I forgot about the recording journals. I was really missing out. Not only do they have a wealth of information, there are also clips of recording this and that. It's stupendous! Here's the track list:

"Jaws of Life"
1. Skull and Crossbones
2. Rated-R Movie
3. Prosecute Electrocute
4. Moving Up
5. I'm Sorry for the Hating
6. Bivouac
7. My Worst Nightmare
8. The Cells Divide
9. Don't Frown
10. Person of the Month
11. I Can't Fall Asleep
12. Are You on Drugs?
13. Write Down all the Words to Every Song You Know
14. Read Your Rights

Wow.

Physicsy
Bought Half Life 2: Silver last night. So I guess that means CS: Source is being played by Harry right now. Yeah, I know. A game works on my computer, I'm just as amazed as you are. Looks fun, maybe I'll go play too. I hope that will be enough to bring certain folks home next weekend.

Act your age.

Better yet, dress your age. Working at the mall (way too much, I might add), I see all kinds of middle-aged women shopping in Vanity and dressing like their daughters. I mean seriously, who thinks that's a good idea? I could go my whole life without ever seeing a middle-aged women in a belly shirt, and be fine. But no, apparently they think I would like to see that. Just c'mon, you don't see old guys wearing baggy pants and crooked hats, yet you see the middle-aged ladies wearing fake thrift store shirts, and short pleated skirts. Why do they feel the need to keep up with the latest fashions in Seventeen? Last I checked it's called Seventeen because that's the age demographic they're shooting for. It's not called Fourty-Something. Stop the madness! Suffice it to say, my goat has been got.

BioShock.
Yes, it's what you think it is.

Made me think.

I just read this, Ronnie Martin wrote it.

Tradition is what gives us a model for how the Christian church should function as a body, which is why we look to the New Testament and that early church model that's been given to us. Non-denominational churches over the last 30 years have had a bent towards being "contemporary", "culturally relevant" with "eyes firmly fixed on the future". Tradtions offer a depth and richness, as well as give us a firm grasp on the essentials; which also don't change with the trends of the times. Of course, people can place too much value on the external aspect of traditions just like they can on being non-traditional. The odd thing is that most of us place a great amount of importance on tradition, so why wouldn't we do the same within our church? The importance of traditions in families and relationships are literally the glue that holds together and preserves them. There's a reverance and respect that comes with holding to traditions, so if I'm that intent on preserving them within my family, why should I do any less within a church family?

Interesting...

Not cool.
Wow. Looks like somebody can't get something to flippin' work.

Silly smile.

Despite being busier than I would ever want to be, life still manages to put a silly smile on my face! Hooray!

!
Demos!

Cool.
Wow. Looks like somebody gets to beta test something!

You can run...

Lookie what I found! After much wild speculation and worry (on my part at least), Fine China is still alive! Can I get a booyah?

I'm seeing a trend here.

Apperently every time I say I'm going to talk about something on here, I immediatly lose all aspiration to talk about it.

Turkey. It's right for the times.

Hey everybody. I am once again back. I went to the Bleach farewell tour this weekend. I'll try to fill you in later. I mainly just posted this so I could use that title you see above here. A billboard actually said that. Believe it... or not.

Just so you know...
 
I'm back, babies.

Only one hand...

Tomorrow will be the worst day ever. Please pray.

Update.

Yup. Leg's bleeding alright. Not as bad as some people, whom I brutally maimed. Sorry Corey.

He stole from the rich and the poor and the not very rich and the very poor.

I think my leg is probably bleeding. Maybe I'll look down and check...

Don't fear the reaper.

"I get up in the morning with nothing to do, and go to bed at night with it half-done." That's a quote from an old retired guy, yet somehow it pretty much covers my life too. Strange.

Cheers to your mustaches!

I just got to get a Gmail account. I guess it's an email account that has a gig of storage. Neato! Last I heard only certain people got invites for 'em too. I feel special. The trick is I actually have to use the thing...

I enabled comments on here... I didn't even know you could do that. Must be new. What does that mean for you, the consumer? It means this will be less like me standing on my soapbox shouting from the rooftops (the rooftops!), and more like a town hall meeting where even creepy Bob gets a say in where the new grain elevator goes! Oh yeah, that and you won't have to talk to me through your blog either...

What could be greater?

Hey whoever reads this,
Rock 30 Games (my place of employment) is having a FREE (!) BBQ this Saturday from 11 am - 2 pm. It's at 115 S. Bell St. which is off of Memorial Highway. If you're heading toward the bridge from Washington, it'll be at the bottom of the hill there on Bell. There's really no reason to pass up free food and some video game playing time too, so I hope you all come.

*Begin unrelated rant*
Why is it that when something bad happens that no one can do anything about, they always say stuff like "I guess all we can do now is pray...", like it's some sort of crappy last resort? I mean, it's not always meant that way, but it seems like a lot of the time it is. Praying isn't some last resort to fall back on when your human answers fail, it should be the basis of everything you do! Prayer should be the first resort, not the last. Praying isn't the least you can do, it's the most you can do!
*End unrelated rant*

Come to the BBQ!

Adam Risch is a nice guy.

Wow. This is a good example of some of the great things blogs can be used for. You never know when someting you say is exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Adam Risch is a big jerk.

Ok, now I might be setting my self up here (when I say that, I of course mean I'm completely setting myself up) but I think I know what the enemies in Resident Evil 4 are going to be. They're not any kind of zombies, we know this much for sure, but I have a pretty good guess as to what they are. People with Mad Cow disease. No kidding. I'm completely serious here. Wait and see, I'll be right, so back up off me, fool.

"How does it feel to be twenty?"

I think you should know the answer to that by now.

Neato bandito!

Ok. I just saw the first picture of the DS! That said, I think it looks pretty darn cool.

Computers always work perfectly.

So, random sites on my computer have freakin' big fonts!

I demand a cease fire!*

*The proceeding blog is in no way intended to be a work of anger, bitterness, sarcasm, or any other type of madness. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to characters living, or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Ok, I know (at least I think) I've said this before, but a if you have a problem with someone, Talk to them about it. I'm of the opinion that a blog isn't the best place to bring it up. Let's not have Blog War 3 or anything here.

On Distant Shores

"I have been scarred so deep by life and cold despair, and brittle bones were broken far beyond repair. I have leveled lies so deep, the truth may never find. And inside my faithless heart, I stole things never mine.

If mercy falls upon the broken and the poor, Dear Father, I will see you, there on distant shores.

I have toiled for countless years and ever felt the cost, and I've been burned by this world's cold, like leaves beneath the frost. On my knees I've crawled to You, bleeding myself dry. But the price of life is more, than I could ever buy.

And off of the blocks, I was headstrong and proud, at the front of the line for the card-carrying, highbrowed. With both eyes fastened tight, yet unscarred from the fight. Running at full tilt, my sword pulled from its hilt. It's funny how these things can slip away, our frail deeds, the last will wave good-bye. It's funny how the hope will bleed away, the citadels we build and fortify. Good-Bye.

Night came and I broke my stride, I swallowed hard, but never cried. When grace was easy to forget, I'd denounce the hypocrites, casting first stones, killing my own. You would unscale my blind eyes, and I stood battered, but more wise, fighting to accelerate, shaking free from crippling weight. With resilience unsurpassed, I clawed my way to You at last. And on my knees, I wept at Your feet, I finally believed, that You still loved me.

Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again. Jesus Christ, Light of the World, burning bright within our hearts forever. Freedom means love without condition, without beginning or an end. Here's my heart, let it be forever Yours, only You can make every new day seem so new."

I'm not one to post song lyrics much, but these words are too amazing not to share. It's the song "On Distant Shores" by Five Iron Frenzy. I forgot how Reese Roper is one of, if not my favorite songwriter of all time. I won't go into it much, just let you take it for what you will. I wish you could hear it. If you're interested, it's from the CD "The End Is Here", which has both Five Iron's last CD "The End Is Near", and a live CD of their last show. It's only 14 bucks at Rainbow, but only until the end of the month.

Now, for a change of subject!

There are some people in this world who change your life, simply by coming into contact with you. I've had the pleasure to meet one of these people recently. Rudy Kempf is one of these people. I bought my car from him a few weeks ago, and I've seen him a few times since then. It really hit home tonight though. I had to go with my mom to pick him up from the airport tonight. The thing is, he'd been waiting there for over an hour! I kid you not, the man was as gleeful as a kid getting candy. So we drove him to his home, the whole way he talked happily with my mom. The part that really got me though, was when we got out and he skipped up the curb (really, I'm not making this up) to the door! On the way up to his apartment, he talked about how great the place he lived was. There was one point where he nearly fell on the stairs, but he just laughed and kept going! I don't know. I guess I can't really describe it to you, but I hope you get what I'm saying. The man is almost 90 years old for goodness sakes! He has a joy about him that can only come from The Lord. I hope that someday I can affect someone the way Rudy affected me.

God Bless you.

Holy moly!

Whoa. Looks like somebody drinks too much!

Words cannot express!

Are you serious?!? TV's Kirk Cameron is actually coming to town?! Wow. I lack the words to properly convey my feelings, so I'll use the words of Chowerhead or one of his bandmates (I don't know which). "Ahhhh yes. TV's Kirk Cameron. It seems that just when things begin to look a little bleak as far as our adventures are concerned, TV's Kirk Cameron arrives with a positive message, a quick flash of a smile (still disarming after all these years...), a twinkle of the eye, and an ever sense of wonder (how is it that he has yet to age?)." Wow. That's truth of Biblical proportions right there.

Oh, and also for those of you who are counting: This is the 2nd blog this week!

Wisdom where you might not expect..

I like to frequent the Joy Electric website for many reasons. The biggest however is to find wisdom and comfort. Ronnie has a personal journal page that he updates fairly often, and it's easily one of my favorite places on the internet. My personal relationship with Ronnie consists of buying a shirt from him at Sonshine one year, and that's about it. Despite the fact that I don't personally know him, I almost feel connected to him. I relate to and understand almost everything he says on there. It kinda seems like I have a lot of thoughts in my head, but I can't find them. Reading the journals helps me find them. Anyway, the main reason I'm posting is the share one of his recent posts.

"The Passion - Ronnie [ 03-31-2004 ]
I finally had a chance to go and see The Passion a few days ago. I don't know what I can possibly say about it that hasn't already been said, but here's a few thoughts at least.

The scenes of Jesus being tortured before the actual crucifixion were shocking, violent and hard to watch at times, but even more than that, they were so incredibly humbling. Seeing just what He went through (or an approximation of it, anyhow), made me realize the unimportance of certain things that I place so much value on in this life. The death and resurrection of Christ is something that should have an impact on the day to day thoughts and actions of our lives. It is the capstone of the Christian faith.

I was talking to someone recently who said they were doubting things concerning faith and Christianity and after a little while, I just simply asked him what he thought the alternative was? If you're going to get down to brass tacks, what exactly does a life without Christ consist of? Doubt, fear, anger, paranoia, sadness, hopelessness....those things come to mind, and they're a reality. Do you ever feel those things as a Christian? Of course, and there are times when everyone doubts and becomes unsure of things. What do you do when you come to a wall of doubt and uncertainty? You open the Bible. You pray. You seek out Godly counseling. You find the answers to your questions. It's in these times that the Lord comes to us and strengthens our faith and gives us the answers and security we're seeking.

What I've seen a lot of people do (especially in the music scene) when they come to a wall, is to try and go around it, but the problem with that is you end up eventually going down the wrong path. It's always easier to just NOT find the answers to all of the nagging doubts and questions we have about the Bible and Christianity, but does that excuse us from finding them? And when doubt settles in and gives way to hopelessness and anger, what then do we do? How do we live?"

Take what you will from that. I know I took plenty. Ronnie Martin is largely responsible for me wanting to be in a band and play music for a living as much as I do. He's almost like a mentor to me, even though we don't know each other. I want to be able to do too. I can't imagine he'd be reading this, but I'll say it anyway: Thanks Ronnie Martin. Heck, maybe I'll even send him some of this in the electronic mail.

Well, I'm sure this was kind of a weird read, but it's what I had to say. That's why you're here, right? At least it was more than a sentance long too!

On a completely unrelated note: The government can't figure out when I was born. That sure instills faith in good old Uncle Sam, eh? Lata!

Wow.

No arguments here.

Told you so.

My point exactly.

Back up off me, fool.

Don't believe anything you read on the internet today.

B-Day shout-outz for my hizzies fo shizzie.

It has come to my attention that I forgot to wish a good friend a happy aniversery commemorating birth yesterday. Sorry for the delay. Happy birthday Corey! On a side note, apperently someone is going to stab me tomorrow. That's ok I guess. That way I'll at least have an excuse for never updating.

So uhh...

I woke up with blood on my face and hand. Is that a bad thing? I must be a vampire or something and not know it. Well, I guess I'll find out as soon as I step outside today. So if you find my ashes, do my a favor and bury them properly.

BLAH! I VANT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD!

Look outside.

It's like the world stopped.

And once again

Everything hurts.

Looks like celebrations are in order!

Happy birthday buddy! To commemorate this occasion we'll be having a Rock Service at the church (924 N. 11th St.) at 7:00 pm on Saturday the 28th! Trust me, the two are completely related. There are no plugs here at all. Happy birthday Derek!

My secret's out.

It's true. I'm really a 90-year-old man trapped in a 19-year-old body.

In case you've missed my whining.

I can't do anything that doesn't hurt.

Fear my ferrety might!

Your Superhero Persona by couplandesque
Your Name
Superhero Name	The Ferret
Super Power	Irresistable Sexuality
Enemy	J-Lo
Mode Of Transportation	Cadillac With Rims
Weapon	Scissors
Created with quill18's MemeGen 2.0!

Yes, I know. I got a ticket to ride the band wagon, but if you watched Kim Possible you'd know this one was too good to pass up.

Call me Mr. Forgetful

I forgot about the Most Useful Advice In A Song Award: "Take the time to play each note by metronome" - (Play Each Note) By Metronome - Joy Electric.

Pardon me

I don't mean to butt in on the hate fest, but don't you mean shut out?

It's about that time...

Yes, that's right. Time for the 2nd annual Petey Awards. The awards will commence in a similar fashion to Maddog's (That's right, I'm ripping you off Maddog).

CD That Probably Would've Made These Awards More Differenter If I Had It: Anberlin - Blueprints for the Blackmarket.
Runner up: The White Stripes - Elephant.

CD That I Really Liked, But Probably Not Quite As Much As I Should Have: Starflyer 59 - Old.

CD That Would've Won An Award, But It Came Out Last Year So It Can't: Bon Voyage - The Right Amount.

CD That Took Me Way Too Long To Get: Joy Electric - The Tick-Tock treasury.

Band That Did More Harm Than Good With An eCard: Relient K.
Runner up: Bleach.

CD That Everyone Started Listening To Right After I Got Sick Of It, Therefore Making It Suck To Be Me: The All-American Rejects - Self-Titled.

Best Album Art: Bleach - Astronomy.
Runner up: Mae - Destination: Beautiful.

Worst Album Art: Brave Saint Saturn - The Light of Things Hoped For.

Biggest Disappointment: The Juliana Theory - Love.

Most Surprising: Dashboard Confessional - A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar.
Runner up: Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do.

Most Worth The Wait: Stainless - Rising Action.

Most Improved: Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do.

Band That Made Me Very Proud By Getting Signed To A Major Label: Switchfoot.
Runner Up: The Juliana Theory.

Best Vocals: Adam Culver - Stainless.

Saddest CD: Shepherd - committing to Tape.

Happiest CD: The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages of...

CD of Summer: Mae - Destination: Beautiful.

Song of Summer: Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional.

CD That Everyone Should Have: David Crowder Band - Illuminate.
Runner up: Bleach - Astronomy.

CD That Spoke To Me Most: Bleach - Astronomy.

And the nominees for CD of the Year are:
Bleach - Astronomy
David Crowder Band - Illuminate
Joy Electric - The Tick-Tock Treasury
Mae - Destination: Beautiful
Stainless - Rising Action

and the winner is...

Bleach with Astronomy!

It was a long and bitter battle where many lives were lost, but Bleach came out on top. There's not one song on there that I don't like, and when it came out it was (and still is) exactly what I needed to hear.

So there you have it folks. This concludes the 2nd annual Petey Awards. Thank you and drive safe!