Adam and Jeremy Say: How many Christian Guitar Riffs do you know?

This is mildly entertaining, but the Gospel Music channel wondered what would happen if Guitar Hero decided to use nothing but Christian songs; what "famous" riffs would they select?

Well, now we have the Top Ten Guitar Riffs according to writer Andy Argyrakis.

Honestly, we were a little disappointed with some of the selections, but it still worth five minutes to check out.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Let's talk about it

Jeremy Says: i was stumped by a recent question for one of Jax's Ed Psych assignments and this relates back to what we learned in COMS Theory. "Why are people with speech impediments considered less intelligent?"
so, we all know that it is in fact true. even I will wrongly stereotype someone as maybe not as smart just because they cant communicate well. but why do we relate that to lack of intelligence? im not sure why I do it, but I know it happens.

one of my thoughts was simply an association thing. typically people that are less intelligent are also not good at communicating. my other thought was that is simply shows how important being a good communicator is to our social stigmas. it's so important, in fact, that we will categorize someone as "stupid" just because they can't communicate well...even though they could be a genius.

I remember my first thoughts on this matter back when I worked my first two weeks at the camp in SC right after moving from lynchburg. the first two weeks were "disabled/special needs" camp for adults. it was two of the hardest weeks of my life, but I also loved it. anyway, I remember thinking that these people may not really be as stupid as we think, they just have communication problems. but maybe that's the point....if they cant learn how to be a good or even decent communicator its a strong indication they are mentally disabled? It might not prove they are mentally disabled, but its one of the symptoms or something?

that reminds me of a recent episode of this american life I was watching...this dude is totally paralyzed, can not talk, eat, breath or do anything on his own, but he learned how to spell out words using this special computer that interprets his eye movements. and if you were read the stuff that he spells out, you would think he was a normal guy. he even goes so far as to getting a girlfriend and having sex with her. certainly she had to do all the work, but apparently he was pretty good at it. not really the point, but he almost proves his intelligence by being a good communicator by spelling out what he wants to say.

so it appears there will always be an exception to the rule, but maybe the rule still implies that people who are decent communicators are also have normal mental capacities, and vice versa?

Adam Says: I have several thoughts here… First, Speech is not our strongest form of communication. Speech can only communicate if the receiver and speaker share a meaning of certain words. So if in the 80’s some young person said, “that is bad” and some old person heard it the old person would think that whatever they were talking about was not a good thing, but the young person really meant that whatever they were talking about was really good/cool. That is the reason we have the phrase, “you would have to see it to understand.” Because our words fail to describe so frequently what we understand that until you both have seen the object you are talking about you will never truly understand each other just by talking about it.

Next I do think it is a social thing. We are trained to believe that people who speak well are intelligent… so much so that people actually get tricked by smooth talkers.

Also, scientifically people who are intelligent have a larger lexicon and use more of it. We can see anecdotal evidence of this in our Grandparents feelings about cursing as a stupid mans communication.

Oddly enough Kiwi’s work with Children with Autism has shed light on this issue for both she and me. While, we do not totally understand autism we do know that it can create effects in the minds of those dealing with it that verge on genius. People with Autism can have photographic memories… Kiwi has students who can run whole movies back through their minds.

The thing that is funny though is intelligence turns out to be more relative than anything. People regularly talk about the difference between street smarts and book smarts, but the truth is intelligence is measured by subjectively so if you can quote Niche and know the entire periodic table from memory, but don’t remember how to tie your shoes… we think you ain’t too smart.

I wonder if Moses had a speech impediment. We know that he told God he could not speak in front of the Pharaoh so Aaron had to be the spokesman. Could it be that he stuttered?


Jeremy Says: Moses could have stuttered and been dumb. we dont ever really have insight to his intellect do we, but he did drop everything and let God use him how he wanted. that doesnt really require intelligence, but what ended up happening in his life inspired so much spiritual belief that it would seem he was a smart guy. "God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise..."

one thing i was thinking is that we dont have enough patience to get to know someone before we judge whether they are smart or dumb. for example, our first impression of someone who doesn't talk well will be negative. but what if we give them just a few more minutes and maybe our impression will change. like that guy on this ameircan life. if we gave him thirty minutes, he could prove to us how smart he really was. so should we offer everyone more time before building an impression of them? you would think that since we grew up in the eighties and use word like phat or sick or raw to describe something cool, we would be less quick to finalize our thoughts on someones speech until we know them better.

i like to say things like "y'all" and "y'anto"(do you want to?), "i reckon", and the ghetto "crunk" or "cra nay nay" and my new favorite curse phrase "dad jim it". probably because when i first heard them they sounded funny, and maybe i think im funny when i say those things. i think i might also like to break the mold a little bit, so if i say that to someone who has a good impression of me, they might think "well maybe people who talk with ridiculous words aren't always as dumb as they sound?".

ha! wishful thinking, but im willing to take one for the team. if anything, it sounds funny, and since im a funny guy....

Adam says: That is the odd thing about life right? We don’t spend enough time getting to know people so we end up just assuming who they are. I was reading about G. K Chesterton today… if you don’t know then you must look it up… and it was talking about his philosophy on charity and giving, and part of that philosophy is that he gave money to every beggar he came across, which obviously got my attention, but on top of that he said that the charitable thing to do is to speak with someone and try to understand them, and so when he gave money to beggars he would try to talk to them. As a person who has both given money to beggars and tried to talk with them I can’t imagine going around trying to speak with every poor person I gave a quarter to. It seems impossible, and yet I get the strange sensation that this is what Jesus calls us to do… off the point I know, but still relevant.

To your point of your speech; I do something similar except I do mine out of vanity or pride or something, but whenever I go out to restaurants and such I start to drawl out my words like a true southerner… Why? You may ask. Because one; I feel like it ingratiates me to the working class Richmonder (what kind of snob am I) and two; because it is kind of like a character that lets me speak for freely and easily because in the end I can be painfully shy around people and I am always finding new ways to make myself speak up and get in the mix… usually I do this by being loud and funny-ish… well probably just loud and awkward… good grief I am rambling like an emo kid a Dickenson reading.

This one goes out to Brian Smith and all you Music Snobs...

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Adam and Jeremy Say: Is it wrong to laugh at other people's misery?

We found this on yahoo this morning, so it could be a fake, but the thought of it being real it simply hysterical...in a sad kinda way.

Worst Best Man Ever @ Yahoo! Video

Beasite Boys in Richmond... Head Explodes

The Beasites are headed out on a swing state, Get Out The Vote Tour, and seeing as VA is a swing state this year, Richmond is on the lists of tour stops.

The Beastie Boys will be in town October 28th, with Sheryl Crow (wha?) Jack Johnson, Santogold and Norah Jones in tow. You can read all about it on Billboards Site and you can buy tickets at Ticketmaster... Needless to say we are just a little giddy... this reminds us that the last time the Beasties were scheduled for Richmond MCA broke his collar bone riding his bicycle... and so we missed the Beasties with RATM and BustaRhymes! Well the supporting acts are not as great as that this time, but we will put up with it for the Beasites.

Adam and Jeremy Say: We will windmill kick you in the face

So you might question our sexuality after this post, but you have to admit this is one of the cutest things you've ever seen. No, we're not gay, but we do appreciate the finer things in life that have been given to us.

If you have a minute, swing on over to Tiggywinkles to see what their all about. It may seem like a useless endeavour to some, but caring for the earth is a good thing, so we're down with that. I will caution you however that you may be tempted to make a donation, and before doing that, think about the charities out there meeting humane needs who also need support.


Rupert the Deer is now 5 days old

This tiny deer was delivered by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital after his mother was killed by a car.
Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult’s hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at ‘Tiggywinkles’ Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire.
He has only recently opened his eyes.
Les Stocker, founder of ‘Tiggywinkles,’ said: ‘Rupert’s mother had very severe injuries.
We brought him out and got him breathing and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube.’

Tucked up: Rupert in an incubatorDear deer: Rupert pulls a striking pose for the camera
Staff are optimistic Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery.
‘Deer are very, very tricky but this one has spirit. He’s an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy,’ Mr Stocker said.

Adam and Jeremy's 50 Most Beautiful People

So here is the deal... we set out to create a list of beautiful people, but not just pretty people. We wanted to make a list of people who were both physically beautiful, and also beautiful on the inside. Now of course we do not have a microscope that can see beauty inside of people, but we do see the actions of people, and so we are basically using that as our criteria; People who are attractive, and who do attractive things. Further the list is not comprehensive we really only ranked people who orbit our galaxy, so you end up with a lot of people who entertain us, or make us think, or encourage us... so don't get ticked if your fav is not on our list... its our list after all. So without further adeu;

Adam and Jeremy's 50 Most Beautiful people.

Abigail Breslin-She brought us probably the cutest.funniest combination of acting in movie history playing Olive in little miss sunshine


Bear Grylls – I mean we could say all sorts of things about the ex-special forces adventurer, but the man’s name is Bear and we think that sums it up


Ben Stein - Faris Bullers Day Off would have been enough, but then you look at this guys resume and you relize he is a genius who is willing to tak on the myth of evolution!


Bob Dylan - The most cocksure faux foker to ever grace our iPods


Bono - A beautiful Heart and a shelf full of hits can make even the ugliest man beautiful


Bradley Hathaway – We wont pretend to be poetry experts… nor can we really explain what slam poetry is, but in our minds Bradley Hathaway’s rhymes are as beautiful as it comes.


Brennan Manning - May be the most unhearolded bibilical scholoars of our time, and yet can make it asscesable to all of us.


Cameron Strang - The founder and CEO of Relevant Media who bring us Relevant media and Relevant.com


Candace Parker - May be the most attractive Women’s Basketball player ever… oh and her game is pretty good looking as well


Chris Altorf and Jessica Hayes better know as Istoica


Cristiano Ranoldo - the worlds prettiest footballer (take that Beckham)


Colin Meloy - The most cocksure faux gipsy to ever grace our iPods


Derek Webb - Might be the only man in "Christian Music Industry" who cares more about what he says that how much he sells



Donald Miller - Honestly we wish we were cool enough to understand Jazz… but since we are not we are glad there is someone who is cool enough to understand life and what it means for Christians


Dwight Howard - Beautiful Game meets Beautiful Soul


Fernando Torres – The world’s second most beautiful footballer... OH and his Gold Boot Just won a EURO championship… that helps.


Frank Warren - Because Secrets are Beautiful


Franklin Grahm - Daddy saved souls Franklin saves lives. I can't think of a more beautiful way to follow in his fathers footsteps.


George Clooney - Not actually as attractive as US Weekly would want you to think, but if you watch Syriana, Good night and Good luck or Michael Clayton you will quickly realize beauty is more than skin deep


Ira Glass - A beautiful storyteller who is actually kinda beautfiul looking… odd for a radio guy.


Jack and Meg White - These two give hope to every pasty white kid playing off beat blues covers in their garage


Jenny Lewis - Just like her songs Ms. Lewis is demure and beautiful with a deadly dark edge


John Krasinski - Yeah he is kind of attractive, but in reality he is the one person on TV I want to move in with… funny thing is I get the same feeling in his movies as well…


Judie Brown - Presedent and Founder of American Life League and it's hipper offspring Rock for Life


Justin McRoberts-good looks, good witt, and good artistry make a beautiful combination


Ken Gire - Anyone who can help us experince God in a new light is beautiful to us.


Maggie Gyllenhaal - Sure she is the pretty indie girl who won our hearts in stranger than fiction, but what really makes her beautiful is motherhood


Malcolm Gladwell – Sure he looks like Side Show Bob… but read just one of his books and you will realize what a beautiful mind really is..


Maria Alexandra Vettese and Sephanie Congdon Barens - Two women who can make freindship and mornings beautiful... and now evenings...


Marty Campolo - Founder of Mission Year organization dedicated to ministering to the poor in urban areas


Matthew McConaughey...not just cause he makes all women all hot and bothered, but he doesnt give a crap about what anyone thinks... this is the easiest way to explain his movie choices.


Meg Ryan - Well really just Meg Ryan from Sleepless in Seattle to You’ve Got Mail and maybe Kate and Leopold


Mel Gibson - So the dreamy eyes and hard body Mel gave way to the funny and witty Mel which eventually gave way to man whose desire was to make Christ real to everyone through film… and he came pretty close… I would say that is beautiful


Natalie Portman - We defy you to think of an actress you would rather bring home to your parents


Nelson Mandela - He is like 500 years old and yet he is still fighting for justice and equality for all


Nigella Lawson – Who wants to watch some stick thin Italian woman cook? Not us… give us a charming full figured Englishwoman any day of the week… That’s beautiful.


Orson Scott Card - Making science fiction beautiful is a beautiful feat worth noting.


Queen Latifah – Big is beautiful


Rachel Ray-She can cook a great meal in thrity minutes. need we say more?


Rafael Nadal - It is one thing to be an attractive successful tennis player. However, after Wimbelton we see that Raffy is a completely other beautiful thing.


Reece Roper-Dorks can be beautiful too


Regina Spektor – Russian Jews are always hot in our book, but when have a voice with as much emotional range as Reeg we think you are extra beautiful


Rob Bell - The man has revolutionized how I think about the Bible and my faith


Shaun Groves - There is some acustic music that won't let us get over the whole unplugged deal and the beautfiul work of this man is in that group.


Stephen Colbert – remember when we thought John Stewart was the funniest newsman on TV? Well no more Colbert not only funnier, but at least to us way more attractive.


Steve Carell - funny and handsome


Sufjan Stevens – What a pretty boy… with a pretty voice… and pretty songs… and a really cool back story and as much indie cred as musician can possibly have


Vincent Moon - The man behind the lens of the most moving music blog in the world … Take Away Shows


Whitney Matheson – This adorable Pop blogger is into comic books, indie music, sci fi and all things geek… honestly what isn’t beautiful about that


Zooey Deschanel - dark hair and pale skin are plus but its those huge blue eyes that draw us in every time

Adam and Jeremy Say:You go Tina Palin!

If you're somewhere from the age of 16 to 39, as soon as you heard about Sarah Palin and saw her speak, one of your first thoughts was inevitably how well Tina Fey would portray her in a comedy sketch. Well, lucky for us, Miss Fey has been on SNL the past two weeks to bring us one the best impressions in comedy history (that's right, in comedy history). If you've missed out, here was her last week's appearance spoofing the VP debate. And even if you didn't miss out, it's good enough to watch a second or third time.

Goldman Quotes Dylan... Has Our Vote!

So we have been watching the race for Richmond's next Mayor eagerly for the last few months. We even got the chance to show up at few of the Mayoral forums/debates. From the get go we quickly saw that there were three candidates that interested us; Jones, Pantele, and Goldman. The three have gone back in fourth in our minds as our choice, but it was not until Paul Goldman quoted Bob Dylan in his latest Blog Post that we knew who we wanted to support.

Admittedly Goldman quoting Dylan does not show up in many poll's as a desired qualification for a mayor, but we think it is pretty cool that an individual we support would up and quote one of our all time favorite Artists.

Before you go bananas telling us that we are shallow, calloused, yuppies who's since of irony is overpowering to the point of insanity let us state our process. We looked at the issues and pretty much everyone is saying the same things... better schools and less crime... great guys, W2G! So we had to dig deeper... Quickly we decided that Pantele was too much of a Dork to vote for... plus we get the sinking feeling that Pantele would do little to change the broken parts of the City Machine... I mean he has been in City Hall for a while now and we have not seen anything that says "Pantele worked hard to make things better for Richmond." We are sure he tired, but he has failed to this point so...thanks, but no thanks (however, if the run off comes down to Big P and someone other than Goldman we may revisit him as the lesser of two evils candidate.)

Dwight Jones has the smoothest, sexiest voice of any politician we have ever heard. It is not quite Barry White deep, but none the less we think we could put on a Dwight Jones sermon to get the ole' wives in their respective moods. On top of that, the man can preach! We got saved three times just listening to him speak during the South Side Forum. So we know that whatever he does he will sound good doing it, but we have to ask the question Mr. Jones; what are you doing to reach out to us? We heard you talk about better schools... we agree better schools are a good thing, but we don't have kids... just dogs. We heard you talk about Battery Park, but we don't live in Battery Park. We heard you talk about bringing the City together, but then our neighbors got visits from your team... they even got signs for their yards and everything, but we apparently were not home, because we have yet to see you or your team in person. Once again... thanks, but no thanks.

Paul Goldman may be crazy... we are not sure about that... and we will admit that the Yankee accent and bad haircut are not very appealing. But the guy blogs like a mad man... getting that much insight into a candidates thoughts is a plus... if not a little annoying. The man has some revolutionary ideas... shut down Carytown to car traffic (we have lived in Europe and have seen this very idea in action so it was not that crazy to us) Cutting the Business tax to bring in business and with them JOBS! (With Renyolds and Wachovia on the way out this seems like a better and better idea, no?) He certainly has been in the game for a long enough time to have the credentials, but he seems to dream big enough to move Richmond out of its current under performing rut. Plus, we see him everywhere we go; City Hall, Greek Festival, South of the James Farmers Market. Honestly, we are a little worried that he may have cloned himself, but we will deal with that issue when we come to it. Finally, if all of this was not enough to convince us Goldman quotes Dylan! Sure, sure, we know that middle aged men quoting Dylan sounds a little cliche reformed hippieish, but we grew up in homes with reformed hippies so we are okay with that as well. Plus, we love Dylan! So as far as we are concerned let's go Goldman... Richmond's next Mayor.