It is only when you accept that you're dead

I've watched seven of the 10 parts of the Band of Brothers series. This is one of the most powerful and emotional series I've ever watched. The stories are biographical with the obvious hollywood-ized additions, but it is amazing. I feel like I've invested a great deal of my emotions in this series as it's so easy to find yourself a part of these mens' lives. I highly reccomend this for anyone who hasn't seen it.

I'm also really excited about the new fall season of Family Guy. It really seems like every episode is a step above the previous one. Some of the most genious comedy on television today.

The University of Alabama begins its football season this saturday in Tuscaloosa at Bryant Denny Stadium vs. Middle Tennessee. I guess we'll see how well our offense works. I'm hoping our defense is as strong as all the reports I've heard.

I don't trust the way it moves

For those who don't already know The BBC put out two seasons of an amazing show called The Office. If you would like to do a favor for yourself, rent or buy these DVDs very soon. This series is absolutely one of the best around.

A big congratulations goes out to Manager Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals. After last night's victory over the Pirates, La Russa is now the third winningest manager in Major League Baseball history. A fantastic accomplishment by one of the smartest and classiest guys in the game today.

In a big big way I am really small.

Every few years something comes along in my life and really evokes certain feelings and thoughts in me. Sometimes it's a book, sometimes a movie and sometimes a record. In the past The Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" was one of those records. It made me feel so many different things. It made me curious and also doubtfull, but it stirred me. It made me question my faith when Billy Corgan sang "...and God is empty, just like me." Now, it didn't make me stray from my faith, but it made me really examine it and in the end I decided that God is real and very active in my life and Corgan's song about being a rat in a cage cannot change me in that big of a way. But it made me think about it. It is extremely rare when this happens to me, but when it happens it does so in a big way.

Once in fifth grade I read an auto-biography titled "They Cage The Animals at Night." Another shock in my life when I finished this book. It made me angry and hopeful and sad and curious to know whether parents truly love their kids the way God loved Christ. To this day I still think about that book that I read nearly 14 years ago. It brought out alot of things in my heart and in my mind and like I said before...it's very rare for this to happen.

There have been several movies to have this affect on me, one being "The Shawshank Redemption." This movie, although fictional, made me feel so many things. But most importantly I realized the true capactiy of the human heart. That there is the potential for all to experience freedom in imprisonment and joy in suffering. The scene where Andy, the main character, had just been released from solitary confinement was one that I will remember for years to come. After spending months in a window-less hole with no bed and little water, Andy told his friends that it was the easiest three months of his life. When asked why, Andy explained that he listened to the music in his heart. Classical pieces that kept him sane in a truly dark time. After hearing this I kind of understood further the capacity of the human heart and mind.

Recently I was suggested by a friend to buy a record called "Frengers" by a band called Mew. Like The Smashing Pumpkins and the book I read in fifth grade and The Shawshank Redemption, this record brought many things into my head. The lyrics are not as thought-provoking as Corgan's and the record has not made me doubt or question or believe anything, but it's made me feel certain things. What these things are...I'm not quite sure, but I feel them. I think about things. And I get excited when I hear it, but not the kind of excitement I feel with just any other records, because I feel excitement everytime I listen to The Get Up Kids' "Something to Write Home About" or Jimmy Eat World's "Clarity." With the Mew record the excitement is different. I can't really explain and I really feel that, because I can't explain no one will understand. But then I realize that it's not for everyone to understand. It's for me. And maybe the things I've mentioned have had an impact on others and maybe not. Maybe it takes something completely different for anyone to feel the things I've felt in those instances. All I know is that when Something comes along that has that kind of impact on me, I feel glad. I feel like for the first time again I understand the meaning of art.

if you never open your eyes

So, the Major League Soccer decided that it would be great if they compiled a group of all-stars to face one of the most powerful teams in the world, Real Madrid. Basically, the squad from the MLS decided to wear their skirts to the game and play like girls, losing by an un-forgivable 5-0 score.

Frank Dell'Apa, in his feature on ESPN, concluded that it may have been better for the MLS to send its best squad rather than an all-star team. Sure, with the all-stars you have the best of the best in the league, but they're not a cohesive unit. They've never worked together as a true team, save a few pre-match practices. To have a team that's been together all season would have possibly been better, but I still think that the MLS has a long way to go. If the MLS wants to be recognized as a legitmate force in world soccer, they are going to have to make some major changes, starting with paying more for better players.

But the English Premier League is on its heels to commence and there is nothing more exciting that that. We'll see if Liverpool ends up with their former star Michael Owen. They've already secured Steven Gerrard, so we'll just have to wait and see if Owen can handle not being top priority on the team. And hopefully they will quit all their moaning since they've received the exception to be added to this years champion's league (which I still think is crap).

those weeks when our distance grew

Jarhead will be coming the theatres this fall. It looks to be promising and was directed by the same person who did American Beauty.

Also coming this fall is Shopgirl. It has three pretty awesome actors in the staring roles and the preview has music from Explosions in the Sky and Death Cab For Cutie.

when songbirds sing

I got to spend two glorious afternoons at Busch Stadium in St. Louis this weekend. The St. Louis Cardinals took two of three away from the San Fransisco Giants. The new Busch Stadium (pictured several posts back) is going to be simply beautiful. The red brick facade is so much better than the current stadium's grey concrete housing.

I also got to spend several hours at St. Louis' City Museum. This place is one of the most fun, interesting and amazing places I've ever been. The attention to detail, the ideas that went into it and the effort that went into making this place happen are simply mind-blowing. I highly encourage a visit to St. Louis just to visit this. You can touch everything and climb and crawl through caves, forests, castles, airplanes suspended 100 ft above the ground. My words won't get across the sheer magnitude of this place. Check out the website.

While everyone's excited about St. Louis, check out the Downtown St. Louis Partnership

St. Louis also has some pretty amazing Downtown Lofts

those aren't your tears

I will be in St. Louis this weekend attending two of the three game series between the Cardinals and the San Fransisco Giants. It's also a good last chance to visit Busch Stadium once more before the old is gone and the new is here.

Chris Carpenter will starting tonight for the Cards. He needs this win to have a good shot at this year's Cy Young award. They also need these three games to remain in 1st in the NL Central.

It's going to be great to finally see Pujols play.

I'm really an arms dealer

I can see myself 40 years from now in this exact situation. I honestly don't see how it can be any other way.

put them up all over town

The US men's soccer team defeated Trinidad & Tobago last night bumping them ahead of Mexico to the top of their bracket. This puts them is a great position for the World Cup 2006.

The 2002 Cup was a major accomplishment for the US team as they made it through to the quarter finals against Germany. 2006 is going to be an even better year. The guys are more motivated, the team's offense is dominant and after watching the US women win the last women's World Cup they are more determined than ever to prove their worth in the world soccer arena.


Last night the Civic Design Expo unleashed the design for the 55-floor skyscraper to be completed in 2009. The Signature Tower is going to be amazing. It will sit on one of the highest points in the downtown nashille area and will dominate the skyline, towering some 80 feet above the Bellsouth Building.

He'll use the weak to overcome the strong

I'm sure this isn't serious, but it's still great regardless.

Christopher Walken for President 2008

I've been reading alot of reflective writing lately. Nick Hornby's "Songbook" and Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." The writing has made me want to do a bit more reflective writing. We'll see where this takes me.

My father loves his guns

This Sunday it starts. The Barclay's English Premier League gets rolling and a nice little match between The Arsenal and Newcastle United will take place. This will make me a happy man.

And it's good to see that the Nashville Metro Police Cheif has his finest out giving citations for a busted headlight.

My giving tree it hasn't rained in years

President Bush as signed a $286 billion Transportation Act. Personally, I feel that this is a great thing. It will have several different benifits. It will make our roads and highways safer and more efficient, it will provide great jobs throughout the country and it will provide an easier way for people to get to those jobs.

Bush praised Norm Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, for his hard work in helping make this happen. I know this is a lot of money, but with the money comes great benifits for our country.



If you ever wondered why I love the University of Alabama, you may further understand by watching this video. Crimson Tradition This takes a while to load, but if you are at all interested, it is well worth the time.

It's a walkoff

I've spent some time today digging through the Liberals Like Christ website. There is alot there and most is pretty interesting and some is pretty out there. I don't quite know how all this is going to be digested, but if you have a few minutes it's worth checking out.

Now this should go without saying, but please understand that I do not hold to all of the ideas that are on this site. I am a Christian and I'm fairly in the middle as far as the left and the right goes. But I do think there are some interesting points on the site worth checking out.

If you want to read some crap that is way left the check out Liberal Oasis. I think that most of the stuff found here is utter crap. It's the kind of place that doesn't even allow the chance that any good can come from the right.


In CNN news, the cable news network has deemed it ok to air a controversial commercial produced by a pro-abortion group that falsely accuses Supreme Court nominee John Roberts of filing legal papers supporting a convicted clinic bomber!
Story Here


In related news, a new book has been published and shipped to bookstores titled Life's Been A Blast It is a detailed description of the life of Emily Lyons, one of the surviving victims of the abortion clinic bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. The title (if not out of line) is a bit corney. And the picture on the front is a bit much.

My one arm falling numb

It's good to see our little Ms. Runaway Bride is actually having to do some community service for all the trouble she caused a few months back. Her thoughtless stunt costs alot of money and set the nation on it's heals. Not to mention her poor fiancé who was not only accused of her dissapearance, but had to deal with the heartache of losing his bride a week before their wedding.

So Ms. Wilbanks...you cut that grass and feel stupid every second of it. Man, I'm a jerk sometimes.

This is how we do it

Last night the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4. Thanks to excellent play by David Eckstein, Albert Pujols, and Abraham Nunez the Cards were able to come back after allowing the Brewer to tie early in the game. Tonight they dance again.

Congratulations to NASA on a successfull mission with the shuttle Discovery. The crew of the shuttle landed this morning without trouble and declared the mission a full success.

In reality TV news, Tommy Lee Goes To College is NBC's latest reality endeavor. Motley Crue dummer Tommy Lee has Enrolled for class at the University of Nebraska and allowed the cameras to record what happened. This is absolutely absurd. We throw strangers on islands for months, we lock strangers in houses for weeks and we give Ashton Kutcher a camera and a huge budget all for our entertainment. It is getting way out of control when we send a washed-up 80's metal drummer to college. Next we should get a major broadcasting company to sign Tiger Woods up for the NHL, or get Bill Gates to fire potential apprentices. Oh wait, that one's been done (and done again). What can they think of next?

This is something that blows my mind. A Texas man is attempting to visit every Starbucks on the planet. What is going on in your life when you decide that this is something you should do? Give me a break.

Butterfly in the Sky

I am extremely excited about reading this book. It was written by the author of Friday Night Lights and covers a three game series last August between the Cardinals and the Cubs. It is a look at the mind of Tony LaRussa, how he manages and why he loves the game of baseball. I can't wait to get started.

This book was written by famed Crimson Tide announcer Eli Gold. With college football season fast approaching I am needing something to get me excited. I believe this book will do just the trick. Life just can't get any better when my two favorite sports teams of all times have books about them. Needless to say...I'm ready to get to it.

I put it all on black

Sunday night ABC anchorman Peter Jennings died in his home. At age 67 his death was caused by lung cancer. He was a great journalist.

In more positive news, The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off homerun by David Eckstein. Tonight they start another series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Should be interesting around my house again.

If you are into amazing rock bands with female lead singers then you should definately check out Veda. I had a chance to see them perform and they were quite amazing. I actually don't think their recording does their live show justice, but it is still great.

You can stream the new Sigur Ros record here. It's amazing.

I couldn't resist

I could not help but post this. This is the future Busch Stadium in St. Louis MO. Home of The Cardinals. I will be venturing to the current Busch Stadium in two week and you can stamp it "DONE" that I will be going to the new stadium next year.

Liberty!

This is Forget Cassettes. You should go check out their page and listen to their tunes. It's some really great music. While you're at it go check out most of the bands at Theory 8 Records. They are all pretty amazing bands and deserve to be listened to.



And there is no reason any of you should not be listening to Pedro the Lion right now. Have a great weekend and I will be back again on Monday

Far from our home.

Osama Bin Laden's lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri has warned London will face more attacks because of Tony Blair's foreign policy decisions. The al-Qaeda deputy was quoted as saying: "Blair has brought you destruction to the heart of London, and he will bring more destruction, God willing."

He also warned that the US that Iraq would be worse than Vietnam. These threats were made because apparently al-Qaeda believes that the U.S. and British foreign policy is aimed directly at Muslims. Well, it just so happens that these poicies are aimed at countries involved in terrorism and are potential biological warfare threats. It just so happens that those countries are all controlled by Muslims.

It's a frustrating situation to say the least which leaves us in a catch 22. If we withdraw our forces from the Middle East, then they will not terrorize us, rather they will terrorize other smaller and weaker countries. Who do we protect...ourselves our other countries?



These guys played an amazing show at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville last night. It's amazing to see people play with such passion for the music they're playing and the lyrics they're singing.

I've got a bone to pick. And a few to break.

I'm hoping that President Bush will sign the newly proposed energy bill. Among the provisions in the bill are tax breaks for people who purchase and drive hybrid cars. I think this is great. People who purchase Hybrid cars starting in Jan. 2006 are eligable for a tax credit rather than the current tax deduction. I think this is a good situation for everyone involved.


On the other side of the world, there are 11 charities in the United Kingdom joining together to help the situation in Niger. Currently there is a massive drought in the country which is causing a major lack of food and water resources. The Disasters Emergancy Committee, who raised £300 million in the wake of the Asian tsunami disaster is stepping up and attempting to raise £10 million for relief. One Nigerian hospital, with a capacity of some 280 beds, technically serves almost two million people. Aside from malnutrition, the most common admissions are for malaria and respiratory disease. Others who are suffering are reported as being afraid to be admitted for care, because they feel that the should stay on their farms and nurse their struggling crops to life.

This is a tough situation and I feel that efforts being made worldwide by bands, celebrities, politicians and national heads of state are great, but not good enough. Live 8 was a great event for awareness, but I don't feel that it has produced much as far as general support. £10 million is not too much to ask it seems. If 10 of the worlds wealthiest countries could offer £1 million (see: $2 million), the relief would be unbelievable.

Just some thoughts.

The movies are always cheaper during the day

Thanks to my ever-sharing roomate William White, I now have some new music to enjoy listening to. Most of the records are older, but are still great to listen to.

Since By Man- An amazing hardcore band. They aren't typical breakdown hardcore. Their music is more thought out than that. I've really enjoyed what I've heard of the record

The Anniversary "Her Majesty" - An older Vagrant Records release, but still enjoyable.

These Arms Are Snakes - I had never heard these guys till their tour with Underoath, but like Since By Man, their music is very well thought out. These guys are amazing.



The St. Louis Cardinals lost a tough one to the Marlins last night. And in the middle of everything else going on in sports, another steriods issue arises. Let's hope this one does not prove to be true.

I said Doc, "What's the Condition?"

Lot's of things going on right now to talk about. I think I'll make a list

First, I saw "March of the Penguins" this weekend. It is amazing. For those who don't know about it, I suggest you click on the link and watch the trailer. The documentary is told by Morgan Freeman and is the story of the annual march that the Emperor Penguins make to mate. Trust me...it was great

Second, you should check out Jonezetta. I saw them live twice this week and was very impressed at their performance. If you'r into Flock of Seaguls, INXS or Duran Duran then you might enjoy these guys.

Third, Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandburg were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. Way to go guys.

Fourth, the Outback Special 12 oz. Sirlion steak with a loaded baked potato and a house salad with ranch is quite possibly one of my favorite meals. Not to mention you get that sweet dark brown bread with honey butter. Dang that's good!!!

Fif, I'm not quite sure yet, how I feel about President Bush's appointment of John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador. I don't know if it is shady that he appointed Bolton while the Senate is on their annual August recess. Time will tell how it will work out.

Sixth, James Bond 007 "Goldeneye" for N64 is one fun game to play. I highly reccomend everyone dusting off the ole' 64 (or buying one on Ebay) and playing this game.

The End