Subtlety…

“It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety.” ~Isaac Asimov

 

Death Comesto Matteson

As many of you may or may not know, my favorite band is Death Comesto Matteson. Unfortunately, with a band name like that, many people are misled into thinking they are some sort of screamo or hardcore metal band. Those of you that have had the opportunity to see them perform know that this isn’t the case at all. So why the name? I’ll let a quote from Peter Matteson, the founder of the band, answer that question.

The following is an excerpt taken of an interview it the June 27, 2005 edition of the Nashville City Paper:

Why the name? Partly it’s because I am a Christian and a big part of that that I’m still figuring out is, there’s this Bible verse that says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” It’s taking that as a concept, trying every day to remember that there’s Peter Matteson the name and all the history that comes with it. And there’s the Peter Matteson that I can be today and remembering no matter what’s happened in the past, today is new and fresh and whether it’s good or bad, it’s still joy because it’s amazing to be alive and a human. … I think you kinda have to kill your dreams to some degree to find what they really should be.

Below are the lyrics for the song, “Fascists,” from their upcoming full-length album, “Ship of Fools, or Ship on Fire.”

Click here to listen to the song! (Right-click, “Save As…”)

All you fascists unite,
Around the flag of perfect hindsight,
And wake to find yourself alone.

Whether communist or catholic,
We’re infected with the sickness,
Of this green and dying world we call our home.

You may call in love,
In the name of prayer,
Tell me what’s it gonna take
For you to face the guns tonight?

If you’re tired of losing face,
Put on your mask again,
And walk into the church with your head held high.

But the teacher in me,
Will go out to find some thieves,
And show them how to make everything alright.

You may call in love,
In the name of prayer,
Tell me what’s it gonna take
For you to face the guns tonight?

Falling around the sun,
Finally I can see that
Flying is so much fun,
And we are all falling.

You may call in love,
In the name of prayer,
Tell me what’s it gonna take
For you to face the guns tonight?

I hope this cleared up the misconceptions some of you may have had about my favorite band. Hopefully more of you will be willing to come along the next time a show comes around! (CD Release show in January anyone?) To hear more:

• http://www.myspace.com/deathcomestomatteson
• http://www.purevolume.com/deathcomestomatteson
• Just ask me!

 

Shooting Stars

As I was walking from the car to my front door moments ago, I happened to see a shooting star. “What a rare treat,” I thought. That is, until I saw four more in my short journey to the house! My dad happened to still be awake and I told him about what I saw, so we both went back outside to have another look. We ended up seeing about 10 more in the short time we were outside.

Apparently were in the midst of a meteor shower. Just another beautiful and awe-inspiring gift from God! The sky is so clear tonight that I lost myself in the sea of stars for a moment. So cool.

Oh, and yes, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t make a few wishes on said shooting stars. I hope they come true! ;-)

 

Sick and Voiceless…

I had a lot of fun rock climbing with my pals yesterday, but, as it turns out, it probably wasn’t the best thing to do when you’re sick. Those of you that saw me yesterday may remember how bad my voice sounded as the evening progressed.

Well, as of this morning, I’m feeling pretty darn crummy and basically have no voice to speak of whatsoever (ha, no pun intended). I didn’t know this was possible, but I can actually whisper LOUDER than if I try to speak normally.

I’m going to try and make a doctor’s appointment in the morning, that is if the person on the other end of the phone can understand me. It’s gonna be a pretty awkward and frustrating conversation if they can’t.

 

Unnecessary Destruction

I was getting rid of a few things this afternoon.  I ran across an old computer keyboard that no longer worked properly.  I took it outside and set it down on the driveway.  I went to the garage to retrieve the sledgehammer.  I smashed the faulty keyboard with repeated blows from the sledgehammer.  Much fun was had… so much so that I found myself looking for other broken or useless items to smash.  Do you have anything to smash?  I’ll bring the sledgehammer.

 

A List of Unrelated Thoughts

• Craig Ferguson is underrated and very funny. Granted, he’s no Conan, but is still quite entertaining.
• “I’m going to go ahead and disobey a direct order, sir.” “Understandable!!”
• Has “Ziggy” ever been funny? I mean, anyone that knows me knows that I love puns–but Ziggy’s aren’t even good… or bad. You know what I mean.
• It was essentially my first time out alone in the Black Friday frenzy… and I survived. I got some crazy-good deals this morning at Best Buy–a humongous 22-inch LCD monitor. It’s beautiful. What? Don’t look at me like that. Besides food, gas, and a few bills, I rarely spend more that a new-CD’s-worth on myself. So what if I splurged a little?
• We all need to get together and have a screening of “It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.” It has some awesome Pepe moments. If you don’t already love Pepe the King Prawn, it’s only a matter of time.
• My nephew was born a year ago on Christmas day. He’s an awesome little dude. I have the feeling–as far as gifts go–it’s gonna be all about him this Christmas morning. He’s so spoiled, but he’s gonna become a big brother in March, so he’ll have to start sharing the attention.
• “Productivity is important… but how can I be productive if I have this one little thing in my brain that I cannot get out? And that one little thing is a soft pretzel.” ~Michael Scott
  I have a proverbial “soft pretzel” in my head right now, and I need to do something about it before it’s too late.

More to come… perhaps.

 

MUTE MATH

Holy crap. Wow. Incredible. Amazing. Mind-blowing. Astounding. Hair-raising. Awesome. Exhilarating. Astonishing. Dumbfounding. Unbelievable. These are just a few terms I can think of to describe the spectacle I just witnessed.

I’ve been to a lot of shows, and in my experience there is NO ONE that has a better stage performance/presentation than MUTE MATH! No one. Seriously.

 

The Puny, Little Human Heart

Can you tell me what went wrong? Can you name the part that died?
That turned you from a blushing one into sorrow’s bride.
With all of these wise men searching for your light.
And you see the black sky only yields the night.

Even if the sky was filled with shooting stars,
You’d wish upon your puny, little human heart.
And you say even the Son of God is not good enough,
To save you, to save you now.

Mark off your penance with a cigarette lighter.
The note she left smells of her skin.
Your cauterize your heart with holy fire,
While the blisters burst and burn again.

Even if the sky was filled with shooting stars,
You’d wish upon your puny, little human heart.
And you say even the Son of God is not good enough,
To save you, to save you now.

If all you need is a song, a little time to be alone.
Then hide yourself in this one because it’s time to move on.
You drink yourself into oblivion and pray this is your last night.
The morning comes like cancer, the stubborn sun puts up a hell of a fight.

Even if the sky was filled with shooting stars,
You’d wish upon your puny, little human heart.
And you say even the Son of God is not good enough,
To save you, to save you now.

“Like Cancer” by Death Comesto Matteson

Too many times in our lives we try to fix everything ourselves. We convince ourselves that we have to carry the burden alone with no help from our Father, or anyone else, for that matter. So, next time you find yourself weighed-down by your struggles, heartaches, and fears, wish upon our “shooting star” from heaven–our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ–instead of your own “puny, little human heart.” If you don’t, failure is sure to follow.

 

“Have A Good Day!”

“Have A Good Day!” is a short film by Joel McAfee & Ante Up Esau Entertainment created for the Two Day Film Challenge at WKU. I am proud to have been involved in its production. The film was winner of the Audience Choice Award as well as being the 2nd Place Film overall! As per the rules of the competition, there were five variables that had to be in every film. They are as follows…

Genre: Comedy
Prop: Clothespin
Location: Stairwell
Dialogue: “It’s not dead yet!”
Character: Dave “Doobie” Wiley, Hippy/Artisan

With no further adieu, presenting “Have A Good Day!”

 

First Impressions

The most difficult thing about meeting new people is the first impression–both making them and taking them. Unfortunately, as humans, it is our nature to judge others and decide how we feel towards other people based on what we know about them–even if what we know amounts to very little. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been victims of the first impression, whether you were unfairly judged based on an introduction or jumped to the wrong conclusions with someone you barely know.

Anyway, this has been on my mind as of late. I’ve met a vast assortment of new people in the past couple of weeks and it’s hard not to wonder what they’re thinking about me–their judgements of my character, personality, and intellengence (among other things). Sometimes I wish everyone could just “spill the beans,” so to speak, everytime they meet a new person.

Maybe a business card with a personal, self-examination to share with others. Perhaps mine would say something like this…

“First and foremost, I am a follower of Christ. I have a love for God and long to do His will. I love to make people laugh and smile. I am willing to lend a listening ear to those in need, and I try to be a good example to those surrounding me. Despite these things, I am still a human being with faults and struggles of my own. At times, I may be selfish, as is our nature. I may say things I should not have said and think things I should never have thought. I often have trouble knowing when to stop with playful jabs and joking. And patience is not always my virtue. I tell you this in hopes that you will not only love and accept me in spite of these things, but also help me overcome them. I will do my best to do the same for you.”