Free Music Friday – Conor Oberst May 22, 2009
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I’ve been a fan of Conor Oberst quavering vocal style for the past few years, both with his band Bright Eyes and on last year’s solo debut, so as soon as my emusic downloads refreshed this month, I quickly grabbed a copy of his latest work, Outer South. So far I like it pretty well and I’m sure it will continue to grow on me over time as most of Oberst’s works tend to do. Below is a clip of the song “Nikorette.” Enjoy.
Also, I love this lyric from the song:
There’s nothing more sad than a lynching mob
For the rational men who believe in God.
Amen to that, Conor.
The Apocalypse Cometh April 28, 2009
Posted by Matt in Uncategorized.Tags: apocalypse, hysteria, Michael Savage, swine flu, The Stand
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Today the specter of swine flu is hovering o’er us, threatening us with the dark shadows of global pandemic and millions of people dying in the streets. The news media is bombarding us with visions and words of fear as the count of infected rise….all the way to a whopping 50 in the United States out of 300 million, meaning that 0.000017% of the population now carry this plague of plagues that threatens to afflict us all with coughing, aching joints, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea.
I’ve read The Stand. I know what’s coming. I figure we’ve all got a few weeks left before the virus decimates nearly all of the world’s population.
I came across another theory last night as I was driving home from the garden. I flipped on our local conservative talk radio station, where I was treated to the man best known for his always-sunny disposition, Michael Savage. Savage explained that America’s refusal to close the border with Mexico proves that Obama’s sinister plot of global domination is coming to fruition. According to the ever-knowledgeable talk show host, Obama’s plan calls for giving amnesty to 30 million illegal immigrants, many of whom have carried the deadly swine flu into the southern red states, and then using their support to turn the U.S. into a socialist dictatorship. Then, once phase one of the diabolical scheme is complete, Obama will flex his muscles and take over the entire world. I promise I’m not making this up.
So, stockpile plenty of canned food and bottled water. Make sure you have a generator and an arsenal of weaponry to hold off the disease-ridden hordes. Put plastic on the windows, don your gas masks, duck and cover, do whatever you need to do to survive the coming apocalypse.
And, whatever happens, don’t do this:
Workday Conversations April 14, 2009
Posted by Matt in Uncategorized.Tags: conversation, Sponge Bob, work
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I was just strolling along toward my cubicle when I passed by two men who are in life situations similar to mine – early 30’s with kids – were engrossed in a deep non-work related conversation. I paused for a few moments to eavesdrop and say hello.
The topic of their conversation? Sponge Bob
.
That’s what small children will do to you.
Cold, Cold, Cold March 1, 2009
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Ice on the roads, snow on the ground, Diana is at work, and our two year old downstairs furnace is out for the second time this winter. We had an independent heat and air guy come out and look at it yesterday and he told us that it would be a big, expensive job and that we should call the company that installed it for our warranty information before plunking down $800+. The company that put in the furnace, Climate Doctor, never returned any of our calls yesterday.
The moral of the story: Don’t ever, ever use Climate Doctor in Southaven, MS.
Volcano! February 24, 2009
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In his response to Obama’s speech tonight Bobby Jindal called funding the monitoring of volcanoes “irresponsible.”
Obviously he hasn’t seen this…
On Circumventing Introversion Through Blogging February 23, 2009
Posted by Matt in Uncategorized.Tags: blogging, debate, introvert, writing
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For three years now, the first 2 at Yahoo 360 and the last 1+ on WordPress, I have been putting my thoughts on everything from the world of entertainment to the political issues of the day to my somewhat unorthodox beliefs on faith and society upon this lifeless computer screen for all the world to read, and I am very thankful for everyone who has tuned into my meandering thoughts and become a part of this small community in the ever-expanding blogosphere. It has become a very important and therapeutic piece of my life through which, for once, I feel as though I can actually express my thoughts, and for that I am incredibly grateful.
Face-to-face I am not a talkative, outspoken sort of person. With the exception of only a handful of individuals in my life, my inner thought processes had remained hidden from public view, locked away in the well-guarded vault of my mind. Prior to blogging and opening my soul to the cyber-world, my introversion knew few bounds.
So, why do I feel the freedom to be so much more open in writing rather than in person?
In my case, I think it comes down to a perceived lack of ability to answer coherently from the top of my head, which has led to a very non-confrontational attitude toward others, even those with whom I vehemently disagree, in a face-to-face setting. My deficiency in this area may be partly subconscious stemming from failed discussions in the past due to my being more of a contemplative, questioning thinker instead of a shoot-from-the-hip bumper sticker type, but much of it comes from a true inability to process information quickly which can be easily seen as a product of having suffered massive head trauma. It is this condition, which I later learned was actually classified as a learning disability, that keeps me silent in most situations. Over the past almost fifteen years, I’ve learned the hard way that my brain doesn’t store information like it used to or like others do. So, if I choose to engage in any type of discussion, from Sunday school to personal conversation, I find myself being particularly guarded. Too many times I have found myself on the receiving end of an opposing debater’s verbal onslaught, picking apart the tiniest of phrases in an effort to disprove whatever statement I might have made and to make spectacle of the lack of information I am able to spout off at any give time.
Thus, I choose to write my thoughts and feelings. Over the past three years this outlet has allowed me to express myself in ways that I have never really done before. I’m thankful for the opportunity to write and I’m thankful for those of you who choose to read. It’s really helped this introvert to come out of his shell a bit….just don’t expect me to speak up in Sunday school anytime soon…
No Early Christmas This Time… December 16, 2008
Posted by Matt in Uncategorized.Tags: DeSoto County, ice storm, Memphis
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Across the Memphis area today children are staring, mouths agape, with disbelief at the seeming misfortune that has befallen them. Mighty Old Man Winter has turned his hand and spared us, Ice Death 2008 did not strike as expected with all of its fury overnight. Jack Frost may be nipping at our nose, but he’s not covering our roadways, so sorry kids, but you have to go to school today. Even here in suburban DeSoto county, where just a faint few snowflakes result in mass hysteria, schools are only opening one hour late.
I’m just glad I’m not a teacher today…
Vegas – Day 1 April 30, 2008
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The flight from Memphis (with a two hour stop in Houston) went without incident yesterday and we arrived in sin city last night. I’ve never been to Vegas before, so I was particularly struck by how stark and desolate the land around it is, especially when compared to the glitz and glam of the city.
It’s true, by the way, there are even slot machines in the airport so that you can start playing those slots as soon as you exit the airplane.
This will be an interesting week…
The Madness is Upon Us – pt.4 March 19, 2008
Posted by Matt in Uncategorized.Tags: basketball, fight, NCAA Tournament, nonsense
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I haven’t done a great job this year of keeping up with NCAA basketball, but, regardless of my lack of knowledge, I always feel compelled to fill out one of those paper brackets and track my poorly-thought-out predictions over the next few weeks, hoping for some crazed miracle to occur and my choices turn out to be correct. I filled out one bracket with real picks, based on their Yahoo team capsules, their current rankings, and what I can generally remember about their basketball teams (which usually dates back at least 10 years), but, for my requisite NCAA blog post, I think I’ll do something a little bit different…
Who would win in a fight?
Sure, we can all choose a team to win based on talent or coaching, but have you ever thought about what would happen if the mascots were to face each other, one-on-one, in deadly combat?
Breaking Down the West
Round 1:
UCLA Bruins vs. Mississippi Valley St. Delta Devils
Normally I wouldn’t choose against an animal as powerful as a bear, but how could one defeat a celestial being of pure evil? The Delta Devil could just burn him alive with hellfire and brimstone.
Winner: Miss. Valley St.
BYU Cougars vs. Texas A&M Aggies
We know a cougar is a nasty little cat found in the wild, but what is an Aggie? The best I can decipher is that it must have something to do with Agriculture (A&M), so perhaps it means a farmer? If he doesn’t have a tractor to run over the critter, I’ll take the cougar.
Winner: BYU
Drake Bulldogs vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
We know that to be a Mountaineer it takes a special kind of person – someone with special equipment for climbing the most difficult precipice and the muscular strength to pull their own body weight. A hilltopper is little more than someone who is able to walk up a slightly elevated incline. Take the bulldog.
Winner: Drake
UConn Huskies vs. San Diego Toreros
Huskies are stout dogs who could normally take out any man, but a Torero has trained for this kind of encounter with a beast, and he carries a sword.
Winner: San Diego
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Baylor Bears
So, a boilermaker is a person who works with steel to make boilers. A bear is a large, ferocious creature with incredible strength and powerful jaws.
Winner: Baylor
Xavier Musketeers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Well, since the musketeers are obviously carrying a firearm, albeit one that is clumsy to load and prone to backfiring, I’d take them to gun down this bulldog.
Winner: Xavier
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Arizona Wildcats
As mentioned earlier, mountaineers are highly trained, very strong people who carry picks and climbing axes. The Wildcat may charge, but one good swing of the pick would end the fight in a heartbeat.
Winner: West Virginia
Duke Blue Devils vs. Belmont Bruins
Living in the Memphis area, we know a little bit about the blues and how life can get you down. In my estimation a blue devil is just – a minion of Satan that is in a deep, dark hole of depression. A bruin is a bear. So, while the little devil is crying away his sorrows in despair, he gets mauled by the bear.
Winner: Belmont
Round 2:
Miss. Valley St. Delta Devils vs. Cougars
Seriously? A cougar against a being from the bowels of hell?
Winner: Miss Valley St.
Drake Bulldogs vs. San Diego Toreros
A Torero has a cape, a sword, and says cool things like, “Ole’!” Of course he can take out a bulldog.
Winner: San Diego
Baylor Bears vs. Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeer may have a firearm, but its not a particulary great one. We can even give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he hits the bear with the first shot. Of course, that just angers the bear more and while he is reloading the bear tears him into small bite-size pieces.
Winner: Baylor Bears
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Belmont Bruins
The mountaineer may lay a good lick on the bruin with his pick, but this is a bear.
Winner: Belmont Bruins
Sweet 16:
Miss. Valley St. Delta Devils vs. San Diego Toreros
There is no sword that can hold back a being of pure evil.
Winner: Miss. Valley St.
Baylor Bears vs. Belmont Bruins
With this bear-on-bear violence going on and the two combatants tearing each other to pieces in what looks as though it will be a draw with no survivors, the Delta Devil suddenly appears and engulfs the entire ring in flame leaving behind nothing but a small pile of ash.
Draw
The Mississippi Valley St. Delta Devils advance to the Final Four
