Don’t take this as bandwagon jumping, or me going all indie snob, but Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas is amazing. I ordered a copy from Amazon and it should be here next week. I’m stoked. In the mean time, I will be streaming it non-stop from Asthmatic Kitty Records’ Web site.

Several highlights so far:

Volume I: Amazing grace is… amazing.

Volume II: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing is one of my favorite hymns of all times. When I sing it, I usually do so at the top of my lungs… with all my soul, so to speak. His version here is sung in an almost-whisper, and is equally, if not moreso, emotive and powerful and soulful.

Volume III: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” is a song that has always hit an odd chord with me. I love the dirge-like nature of the song, but why do we sing it every year, for Emmanuel to come to us, when in fact Emmanuel HAS come? That is why it is so amazing, and subtle, (it had to be intentional…) this is a mostly instrumental song, and the only part that is sung is “Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel…”, meaning “rejoice! rejoice! God is with us!”. Brilliant.

More to come as I listen to the other volumes.

[tags]Sufjan Stevens, Christmas, Christmas Music, Songs For Christmas, Sufjan[/tags]

I have two sweet monitors sitting in my basement. My inner geek tells me to keep them, but they are collecting dust and taking up space, and I’m not sure when I’ll ever use them again. They are sweet though.

17″ Flat Screen CRT

• Model: Gateway EVF720
• Manufactured: June 2001
• Got it with Nancy’s “college computer” around 2001ish

19″ Flat Screen CRT

• Model: Samsung SyncMaster 997DF
• Manufactured: November 2004
• Purchased new in early 2005 for $200. Can still find them used online for around $170 (not that I’m suggesting a price)

They are both in great shape. The reason I don’t to get rid of them is because they have great picture and color quality. The reason I am getting rid of them is because I have better equipment (flat panel LCDs that don’t take up as much desk space).

I’ll take (at my discretion), the best offer I get on these, within reason. (read: you probably won’t get these for $1, unless you deserve them).

I’d prefer to sell to someone local (Ames, IA), but we can discuss shipping if you really want.

I always gets me excited when a popstar sings/writes/performs something that preaches truth, regardless of what they meant by it. That’s what I love about art: you can misconstrue it all you want and no one can tell you you’re wrong ;-)

Gravity is quickly becoming my favorite John Mayer song (perhaps it’s a “flavor of the week” type infatuation, we’ll see). I’m not sure what he means by it, but if Gravity is talking about my innate human nature, he’s dead on. Check it out, short, sweet, and thick with meaning. Brilliant song writing.

I posted the lyrics below the video:

Gravity, is working against me
And Gravity, wants to bring me down
Oh, I’ve never known what makes this man
With all the love that this heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away

Whoa, Gravity is working against me
And Gravity, it wants to bring me down
Oh, twice as much ain’t twice as good
And cant sustain like one half could
It’s wanting more that’s gonna set me to my knees

Twice as much ain’t twice as good
And can’t sustain like one half could
Its wanting more that’s gonna set me to my knees

Whoa Gravity, stay the hell away from me
And Gravity, has taken better man than me
Now how can that be
Just keep me where the light is

“Happy Birthday, Daddy!”

It’s Matt’s 27th birthday today :) Happy Birthday to an amazing husband/daddy-designer/coder- (pardon the slightly corny almost-rhyming) rock-n-roll-er!

I have a pretty sweet computer. It helps me do my job efficiently. It is sufficiently quick, powerful, and pretty. However, my new job is sending me a sweeter, faster, prettier one. Suddenly, I find myself discontented with my perfectly good current computer.

I was relating this to my wife’s aunt and she said “Well isn’t that how we’re supposed to be about life? Christians have a better life coming, so we’re supposed to look forward to that one and not be attached to this one…”

Wow. Talk about turning my perspective around. She took my sinful discontentment and made it a parallel for a spiritual principle.

(I wonder if my co-workers read this blog, and what they think about their crazy Christian designer guy…) The world may never know…