Friday Free-for-All x3

so I haven’t done one of these in 3 weeks… primarily because this, this and this were all on my to-do list. But its all culminating on Sunday - our big fall push at Elevation Church… be there - its going to be off the hizzy. as in chizzy. as in chain. don’t look at me - i didn’t make that up. But the business is beginning to subside, so I figured it was time for a return to my useless collection of current interests. the envelopes please…

Best New Shoes With Accessory Website:

This one goes to the new Nike vintage shoes that recently came out, and the multimedia lovefest that is their website - videos, photos, t shirt iron-ons, the whole nine. I want to succeed like this one day - and I also want some of those shoes… super sweet. Slight aside: I think I’m beginning to like shoes a little - I recently got a new pair of the Simple Green SnoTire shoes for my birthday - fan-friggin-tastic. Moving on…

Primary Reasoning Behind My Sudden and Needed Urge to Visit Iceland:

Sigur Ros, that uber-amazing underwater Radiohead music band, is releasing a documentary type thing called Heima about their recent tour of their homeland Iceland. Click here to watch the trailer. Iceland obviously is one of those ironic nicknames like calling the bald guy Curly or the fat guy Tiny, because from the footage in the trailer, it looks like a painfully gorgeous place. I don’t know why I haven’t been yet - it looks like those places you dream about - where its always 63 degrees and clear, just after dusk. Words cannot describe. If the trailer leaves you wanting more, check out their video for Glosoli…

My Short List of Broken Electronics:
1. My iPod - Not my new one, but my old faithful 20GB U2 iPod from three years ago. No music shows up anymore when you turn it on - just a graphic of a sad iPod. That can’t be good.
2. The CD player in my car - It almost ate my Jack’s Mannequin guilty pleasure CD Clair bought me for my birthday. We shared a few words and he gave it back. But now he doesn’t want to hear anything about playing my jams. Its the radio sir, or nothing. Your choice.
3. My Car Cell Phone Charger - It never really was super great since it never clipped in to securely hold in place, but now its bent and I have to hold my phone at a 45 degree angle to charge it in the car. Loads - we’re talking loads - of fun.

Graphic Designer Who is Better Than Me of the Week:
Dave Werner. A friggin talent. Design, theory, music, you name it - he’s good.

*Double Award*
Best Headline of the Month:
and
Another Reason Why I Will Do Everything in My Power to Never Leave South Carolina:
South Carolina Inmate Hits Michael Vick With ‘$63,000,000,000 Billion Dollar’ Lawsuit Alleging Al Qaeda Ties - you can’t make this crap up.

5 CDs That I Currently Want But Don’t Currently Have:

Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
The National - Boxer
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Junior Senior - Hey Hey My My Yo Yo
Rocky Votolato - The Brag and Cuss

Last Birthday Gift I Received, Officially Ending My Birthday Season:
a mix CD from Elizabeth King - I won’t judge a book by its cover, since this cover was a handwritten track list (with two song titles missing from their artists…) on spiral notebook paper wih the notebook paper fuzz still attached. I’m not complaining though - I’m just glad I finally got it. I’ll write a review of this one, since I told her I would.

Busy Fo Shizzy

I need more time in a day. Not a lot - just a few more hours between other hours - like a time brunch. or Fourth Meal. you get the idea.

Anyway, I’m once again realizing that I try way too hard to cram as much as possible into my life. I’m not sure when it was that I figured this out - maybe it was on my hour drive to work one morning, or maybe it was when I was rushing between work, softball, spending time with my lady and praying at the high schools for Young Life.  Maybe it was the fact that sometimes I don’t get to see Ashely until almost midnight.  I don’t know. Maybe it was just the bottleneck from hell that came down my project pipeline at work this week - we’re kicking off our fall series with new shirts, new brochures, new programs, new websites and new visions and most of the time, somewhere in the process, it funnels through my workspace, onto my laptop and off to a printer somewhere.  And sometimes, like today I get frustrated because my creativity isn’t keeping up with my workflow.  I prayed a lot this week for more capacity so that God could fill me with more creativity (my Pastor slash boss, Pastor Steven Furtick, has been really speaking to the staff about this  - check him out here) while also praying for renewed energy and good rest - too bad I don’t do anything to promote that - other than adopt the mantra of “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” I look at my friends with jobs they can leave at work or those with fewer time commitments - and sometimes I get jealous. They have a freedom to do what they want on whim - or not do anything at all. And they seem happy for the most part.  And there is nothing wrong with the way they live.  And sometimes, I want that.  But then I think - I love my job with all I have - I work for a church with inspiring vision and limitless potential and they are completely open to new and creative ways to preach the words of God to a city with way too much religion and a starving need for real relationships with Jesus. My friend Charles and I were talking the other day about people and how they are the only things in this world worth investing in - because they’re the only things that are eternal. So I’m trying hard to align my life around this principle - people first, others desires somewhere else down the line.  My friends, family and my hot lady are the most important things in my life.  And my work with the church and Young Life fits in this too.  I just have to try to figure out how to fit it all into a 24 hour period and a 7 day week.  Either that or I’ll just live fast and die young.  Or maybe thats too poetic - maybe I just need a better calendar and the ability to say ‘No.’ sometimes while scheduling some down time into my life, because its hard to give all you have when you don’t have enough to give yourself.

Friday Free-For-All

welcome to August. wow, that was quick. last week there was no Free For All, which I’ll chalk up to the fact that I was mourning the near-death of Dixie (update: she’s still in the front yard - we’re taking her to the shop to go under the knife Tuesday…). At any rate, heres some awards…

Best Live Show I’ve Seen This Summer:
Well, this may actually not seem like a huge deal, because I don’t think I’ve seen a whole lot of music this summer - however I might go Best Live Show I’ve Seen at Verizon Amphitheatre… In fact yes I will… the new category is -

Best Live Show I’ve Seen at Verizon Amphitheatre:
Ashley and I went to see my twin John Mayer the other night and it was fantastic - I don’t know if I look like the guy as much as everyone seems to think, but I’ve thrown in the towel on trying to be cool and not like John Mayer - the man can play guitar. Contiuum is one the best albums I’ve heard in a while and it doesn’t get much better than a summer night, on the lawn, with your lady, listening to some quality jams. It just doesn’t.

Top 3 Cheezy Songs That I Blame the Summer for Me Enjoying:
1. Paramore - Misery Business
2. Halifax - Straight Up (as in yes, the Paula Abdul song)
3. those two on repeat

Seriously, every music snob bone in my body doesn’t want to tap my feet (or look up the chords to play along with in my room…ahem…) but I can’t help it. Maybe its the fact that Lizzy borrowed my birthday CD’s before I got to rip them to iTunes or maybe its because my good ol’ iPod is on the fritz again, or maybe its just that these two songs are too friggin’ poppy and melodic. But the summer is a good time to indulge in the lighter side of life - which is I why I drive with the windows down, stay up later than I should, use the mess out of the grill, watch some box office cheese and listen to some pop-rock typically reserved for my 15 year old sister. I’ll get serious in the winter. Then again, maybe I’m just trying to explain it away… come, join me in my indulgence:

Paramore - Misery Business

Halifax - Straight Up
(live…the quality sucks, just go download it. Holy crap I hate myself for liking this…)

Top 5 Things That Make the Next 5 Days Awesome:
- we have a softball double-header on Saturday
- my dad is coming to hang out Saturday - and yes, he’s much cooler than your dad
- Ru-Sans for lunch with my dad and my hot lady
- we start a new series at church on Sunday - Entourage
- Brokeback Josh comes home on Tuesday from his surgery sabbatical (i can’t really spell sabbatical either… who knew it had two b’s?)

Best New Website:
- Jeremy Cowart. hands down. The man can prendre some photos. He’s got some beautiful stuff on his site - which just relaunched this week. Check it out. And feel motivated to do better or depressed that you’re not near that good. Go ahead - its ok to do both. I do.

My Prediction For You Next Favorite CD:

Baumer - Were It Not For You

This thing is legit. It blows the old CD out of the water - right now, there are only four track available (listen here) but I’ve heard most of this and its going to wreck you. I’ll probably do a full review of it later, but for now - just let the smart, savory indie pop goodness hit your lips, roll down your throat and leave you wanting more.