Adam and Jeremy Say: Stephen Colbert... Funny 25% of the time.

But that is one very funny 25%!!!!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Operation Humble Kanye - Stephen Beats Kanye

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Adam and Jeremy Thankful for Mom, Dad, Jesus, and Axl Rose

On this beautiful Thanksgiving morning there are several things Adam and Jeremy are thankful for, like our wives, friends, family and Salvation. However, our list does not end there; it just so happens that this week, of all weeks, we have been reminded that we are thankful for Rock N Roll!

"Rock N Roll is dead," you may say. We contend this is not quite true; Rock may certainly be dying but on this week Rock N Roll has made one last fantastic gasp and for that we are truly thankful.

Not only did we get a fresh new EP from Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie's fantastic side project the Almost, but we also got the most anticipated album of all time, Chinese Democracy, and may we say that Axl and his assembled Roses still Rock. Sure this may be the last gasp of Rock N Roll, but it sure is a great way to go, aint it?

We can see that some of you may still not be convinced, let us add that this week features solo releases from Weezer front man Rivers Cumos and Scott Wieland of Stone Temple Piolts fame... yeah that really isn't to convincing we know, but add that to yet another release for the Killers, a follow up EP from arena rockers Coldplay and new stuff from the voice of a generation, Kanye West... and suddenly our claims of Rocks last hoorah are not all that far-fetched... are they?

We know the onslaught of Myspace and American Idol poppers is unstoppable... the Internet and iPod have created a world of over produced one hit wonders (trust us that new T-Pain song is the same as the old T-Pain song) but for one last week we want to revel in the Rock N Roll... So thank you Rock N Roll... thank you for holding on just a little longer.

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 Says: Why Work When You Can Just Hide.

Why do I work? Is it for the money or is it something else? I think its for the money. Why do I work for money? Is it for happiness or is it for comfort? It is silly to think that I would work so hard to make myself happy. Some of the happiest moments of my life have come at times when I was poor... or have cost very little... I was happy when I bought a huge truck for $1000 and then beat the living tar out of it for the next three years... I was happy when I lived over a sewing shop and paid a flat $200 a month for all my expenses; which was good because I only made $7000 that year. I was happy when I spent a month sneaking into my friends apartment pool everyday reading trashy magazines and working a tan. I was happy when I was a junior level go-fer in a big government PR office who spent two hours a day playing basketball with old men. I was happy when I went tagging old rail road tunnels with my future wife. So if so many things that came at so little cost gave me such joy why am I now working so hard to make money? Comfort is the only real answer I have, but that's not really the answer. I say that I want to able to do things I enjoy without worrying about money, and I say that I need to work hard so I can rest for a long time at the end of my life, but in reality its more fear than comfort that drives me... Fear that I wont have money to pay the bills... fear that I will get sick and not have money to go to the doctor... fear that my wife may get pregnant and we wont be able to afford to birth the child... fear that I will have to work the rest of my life... this is not good.

God tells me that His eye is on the sparrow and so if He is taking care of a little bird how much more is he taking care of me? He tells me I am to be fearless, and yet I am worried and afraid. It's not like its a new thing for me to be a giant faithless hypocrite... but some times when you realize how hypocritical you have been and how faithless you are it takes you back a few steps. I regret that these past few months I have spent so much time afraid and hiding. I feel as if there has been so much joy around me and I have tried to keep it out. I only let it small doses from time to time... at a family dinner, on a date with my wife, talking to a friend, and better yet talking to God. It's funny how God listens to people he knows are complete fakes and frauds and losers and quitters and sinners. If I even think someone may be lying to me I shun them (i.e. Mitt Romney and Joel Olsteen.) God on the other hand still hears me still loves me and even still talks to me... yeah I know that's crazy evangelical talk and you can discount it if you want, but that's the faith I have and its the faith I want to live.

So my wish this Christmas is not for a new toy, and its not for a new job; because I know that neither will make me happy. Is for Peace, Joy and Courage. In the book of Luke when the Angels appear to the shepherds God says that the angles told the Sheppards to not be afraid, but instead to be joyful because they brought good news... the Savior had been born and he would finally bring peace to earth.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel
said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ[a]
the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly
host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests."

I know it's a little cliche to talk about the Christmas story at this time of year. Jeremy and I try to stay away from crusty old religious practices, but the truth is that God has come to bring Peace, Joy and Courage... even to worried cowards like me. So I hope that I can fully accept that peace and courage and experience the full joy of Salvation with Jesus.

I realize this all deviates from the norm for Adam and Jeremy, and I also realize that I just took a very long journey from discontent in the office to Salvation on the Cross, but thanks for reading it, and hope you also have a Merry Christmas.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Jena 6 the shame.

The Case of the Jena 6
Last fall, when two Black high school students sat under the "white" tree on their campus, white students responded by hanging nooses from the tree. When Black students protested the light punishment for the students who hung the nooses, District Attorney Reed Walters came to the school and told the students he could "take [their] lives away with a stroke of [his] pen." Racial tension continued to mount in Jena, and the District Attorney did nothing in response to several egregious cases of violence and threats against black students. But when a white student--who had been a vocal supporter of the students who hung the nooses--taunted a black student, allegedly called several black students "nigger", and was beaten up by black students, six black students were charged with second-degree attempted murder. Last month, the first young man to be tried, Mychal Bell, was convicted. He faces up to 22 years in prison for a school fight. (from the slightly biased http://www.freethejena6.org/)

Honestly this whole thing disturbs us... is it 2007 or 1957? Amazingly upsetting... We could give you commentary but this is a situation that has been talked to death. Still we feel this issue needs our attention. So this is our attempt to keep the common conciseness focused on this case.

Here is the statement of facts from a slightly less bias source CNN.

The latest on the case from the AP.

Here is an interesting take on the issue from Mos Def in relation to the Hip Hop industry.

It is interesting how several issues of culture have collided in the last few months between Mike Vick or West v. Islam but this is not just a case of cultural misunderstanding... it is out right racism and something seriously needs to be done... we don't know how to fix it, but hopefully we can keep it top of mind until some one comes along who can.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Women Ninjas Terrorize Nation

Female 'Ninjas' Rob Richland Gas Station With Sword, Dagger - top ten candidate for the "Adam and Jeremy Headline of the Year Award."

Adam and Jeremy Say: We Want to Work for The Office

Sorry the A&J staff have let you down lately... posts have been sparse, but the Richmond branch has an excuse! We have been busy with marathon sessions of The Office! Yeah I know I am way behind the times, but I don't actually have the capability to watch TV in my house... so I don't see most TV shows until they hit DVD... curse you Blockbuster.com! I am totally addicted to The Office... Am I the only one who thinks it would be awesome to work with Jim and Toby? (yes I know that is the geekiest thing I have ever said) I mean seriously I am so hooked on this program that I am fervently searching the fake Dunder Mifflin website for more funny... eek I am a sad sad man... alas if you have complaints about the lack of production from the Asheville branch please feel free to leave your comments... because they have not been watching The Office around the clock for the last four days.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Less Than Epic Thoughts About A Seemingly Epic Event... 9-11 Remembered

Adam: Hey I thought it would be cool to talk about nine eleven today in our own way... what were you doing that day?

Jeremy: one thing I was thinking about on the way to work this morning... a couple of declining trends that seem to be following each other:support for the war in Iraq and attendance to 9-11 memorial services.

Adam: I was thinking about something similar.

On Tuesday September 11th 2001 I woke up and heard the news... saw the towers come down... called my folks... and then went to the prayer service at the Vines center... after that I went with Teddy X Walls to Best Buy to purchase the new P.O.D. album, Satellite, that released that day. Looking back it was kind of a strange thing to do, but really I don't think I knew what else to do... but now it seems so appropriate that I did it, and more so I feel like there is this correlation between 9-11 and that album. I feel like Satellite was the best album POD made (I realize that is a relative accolade) and when I bought it I listened to it a lot... I really liked it I listened to it for weeks and weeks... and then as time went on I listened to it less frequently... and the even less frequently... I now I listen to it maybe once or twice a year, and I think that is exactly the way I and most people feel about 9-11; When it first happened people were freaking out, going to prayer services, starting wars, locking themselves in their homes, and for weeks and months and even a year afterward people were consumed with it, 9-11 was on the news and in our conversations, but as time wore on people worried about it less, and now we only really talk about it once a year on the anniversary.

Jeremy: I was in BUSI 102 at the time. Convenient because someone was on surfing on the Internet and words started spreading around the classroom. by the time class was out I started on my way to my next class, and ran into "Big Samoan Joe". He is from DC, so I told him to give his dad a call and just make sure everything was OK. He asked why, and I mentioned a plane may have crashed in the DC area, but I didn't really know much about it, and to just call his dad to be sure everything was cool. after that, I went to theology 101 with Dr Townes. I curious as to whether he would cancel class or not. he made an formal announcement about the tragedy and I remember him saying "this is going to have a huge affect on our country for the upcoming years....". I didn't really know whether to believe him, but I trust his opinion, so I didn't discredit his statement, but up until that point, I was comparing this to another Oklahoma city bombing. after that class, I went back to my dorm room, and proceeded to watch on TV the events unfold for the next few hours(the towers falling, and reports of the plane in PA). it was surreal. you probably remember at the time that I was anti-war everything and thought that the military was evil and that no christian should ever choose to be a part of the military less they have to kill anyone. that day completely reversed my belief in war. I'm probably just as numb to 9-11 as anyone else is these days, and I don't feel like that is a good thing. I'm still frustrated with terrorism, and I'm frustrated that we cant be unified as a country like we were those months after the attacks. I feel like we are turning into a modern day Rome, where internal corruption and disarray will be our downfall.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Heaven from the mouths of the Novice

The following conversation between Adam and Jeremy took place via email over the course of several days. It deals with the topic of Heaven from their own unique perspectives.

Adam: Dude my pastor preached this great sermon about Heaven yesterday that has totally lifted my spirits! Afterwards my wife and I were talking about Heaven, and about how neither she nor I seem to spend much time talking about or thinking about Heaven. Do you spend much time focused on Heaven?

Jeremy: I guess I think about heaven a lot, but only because I ponder about the spiritual realm and God(and if those things had a location, they would be in heaven right?)
As far as what heaven is going to be like when we get there, you're right, I don’t think about it much. I think I used to think about heaven more when I was a kid.
Of course heaven is then main attraction to the Christian faith right? I mean who wants to go to hell when they die and live in anguish and gnashing of teeth?
BUT
I don’t want to be a Christian just because I get to go to heaven, so I think I purposefully try not to really think about it. Right now I want to focus on the "fullness of life" and doing the work of the kingdom on earth; that’s why I’m even here to begin with, right?
I’m not saying its wrong to think about heaven, but I think people miss the boat when they think of Christianity as a "ticket to heaven" instead of what it really is.

As for what I actually think about heaven, there are too many thoughts to put down. 99% of them are all good of course, and the 1% that is negative is the possibility of being bored. I mean forever is a long time, but that’s just stupid so I get over that quickly.
I think about having any physical desire I have ever wanted just given to me. I think about worshiping Jehovah face to face and spending time with Jesus in person. I think about seeing friends and people that have died. I think about hanging out with Paul and Peter and getting to know them. I wonder if me and Jax will have marital obligations in heaven and if we will still have the same romantic love for each other. I think about travel, and how space and time will probably be completely different. I think about the "new earth" and if that will be the same as this earth minus sin, and I think about how I will not have the desire to sin and please myself. I’m curious if that is actually possible.
There’s more stuff, but I think you get the gist.

Adam: I think the main draw to the Christian RELIGION may be Heaven, but I think the main draw the Christian faith is a relationship with the creator of the universe... that said Heaven totally blows my mind... like when John tried to write about what he saw in Revelation you can tell that it was so totally unreal that he could not put it into actual words and so he had to approximate groups of words to try and get people to understand what he saw. Personally I hope that heaven is like a magical garden or something... I guess my adoration for nature drives me to thinking that Heaven will be a place that is filled with all of the beautiful things I see in God's creation now... like the sun will always be setting and rising but never up or down and there will always be light fluffy clouds in the sky that capture those amazing setting and rising rays from the sun and turn them into marvelous pinks, reds, purples and oranges. I fully expect to see green foliage and vibrant flowers everywhere I go, but one of the things I have begun to think about is that everyone will be walking around naked... when God created man he created him beautifully and it was only our sin nature that made our nakedness sinful, so I am guess that in heaven the beauty of the body will once again be displayed and admired for its singular beauty among all of God's creation.

Another funny thing is that my wife asked me just last night if I thought she and I would be married still in heaven and I remembered that passage in the Bible where some religious person tries to trap Jesus by asking Him who a woman would be married to in heaven if she had been married to three brothers in succession... like one brother dies so the next one marries her to take care of her... etc. and I remember Jesus saying that there was not marriage in Heaven... which makes sense to me, because we will be the bride of Christ in Heaven, but I don't think it made the wife happy... I think the thing that excites me most about heaven is the idea that there will be an answer to all the unanswered questions in life. I seriously hope there is like a DVD they hand you as you get there that gives you the history of earth from the perspective of the all knowing... is that silly?

Jeremy: Nah, there are many life questions that we face that I think "I should remember to ask God that when I get to heaven". Yeah, I definitely wish we could watch something that replays ancient occurrences and stuff. I think the thing that excited me most is hanging with people and never having to worry about not having enough time with that person. I can take my time and not have to cram everyone as a "single serving friend". Like when I’m chatting with Paul, I’m sure there will be millions of people that want to talk to him, so I don’t have to worry about being rude to him or them by taking all his time. They will get their chance. I don’t believe there will be marriage in heaven, which makes me wonder if there will be romance and Eros. I think I would be disappointed if there was not such a thing.
Oh, I’m also excited about not losing to Lucifer anymore; I can really kick him in the face with my steal toed boots.

Adam: I think the absence of sin will be the greatest aspect of heaven, after the presence of God.

Jeremy: heck yes. Can you imagine what it will be like to not have the desire to please yourself? Or do you think we will still have that desire?

Adam: I can not even imagine a world where my selfishness is gone... and therefore that must be the way heaven will be.

Jeremy: Agreed. We can not even imagine the things of heaven.

Adam: Now I kind of feel like this whole conversation was futile.

Jeremy: Well, we can imagine, but how small a portion of what we imagine will actually be there, and how much stuff will be there that we are incapable of imagining.

Adam: It is almost so big and so mind blowing that it is scary.

Jeremy: I'll try not to imagine it that much. I don’t want heaven to be scary.

Adam: It is like a big tree... it is so big and tall that it is terrifying to climb it but once you get to the top it is the greatest place on earth.

Jeremy: I was thinking the ocean. So big, and even though you can only see a couple feet in front of you, it goes much farther...which also would make it scary.

Adam: Well aren't we full of metaphors today... I must say that we may be the world’s most unlikely philosophers, but the mere thought of heaven seems to have captured our imaginations.

Jeremy: maybe because the possibilities are endless, and it will be everything we ever wanted.

Adam and Jeremy Say: We Burned Past 200 Posts, And Had An Awkward Conversation About Rock Music.

Hey we just realized that we passed our 200th post this week... alas we did not notice and so did not prepare any hilarity for you... so check out our 100th post... we guarantee at least five "LOL" moments (we are not sure if we used the term "LOL" with or without irony... we forget which way is cool.)

So Adam had an interesting conversation after church Sunday with old pal Lil' Lee... we forget what band it is, but Lil' Lee is in some local band and has been for a while so his conversations with Adam usually revolve around music. On Sunday however the conversation did not go so well... It went kind of like this:

LL: Hey have you heard the new stuff from such and such a band?

Adam: Nope

LL: What about this other band?

Adam: Nope

LL: Well I know you have hear some such track from this other band?

Adam: Sorry

LL: You suck.

Adam: Yeah I know... I'm old.

As you might be able to garner from the conversation Lil' Lee and Adam have divergent tastes in music... actually at one point they were on the same wave length but then Adam got all caught up in that haughty-better-than-everyone indie rock rubbish; while Lil' Lee continued to rock out to the DIY screamo/punk/hardcore/whatever it is people here on MySpace these days... So to make Lil' Lee happy we give you this:

A While back Adam ran into Lil' Lee at Alley Katz for a show in which the band As Cities Burn was playing... while As Cities Burn is not and Adam and Jeremy approved band, they aren't bad so it is with guarded enthusiasm that we present the As Cities Burn Myspace page... On which you can currently here their entire new CD Come Now Sleep for free an entier week before it blows up shelves on Tuesday (forgive us but we are ex-DJays and some time we get caught up in the moment)... so got check out the myspace page and make Lil' Lee happy by supporting semi-professional Rock N Roll!

Adam and Jeremy Say: Rilo Kiley Under Black Light

The new Rilo Kiley disc, Under the Black Light, hits shelves August 21st, but you can preview Ms. Jenny Lewis' song bird like voice on the track "Silver Lining" right NOW over at Stereogum. Let it be stated that Adam and Jeremy are both a little skeptical of this more polished sound, but for Jenny we will reseve judgment until the 21st.

Adam and Jeremy Say: Modesty is HOT!

Last week we posted a rather satirical letter to several young famous women on this very site... it was funny, but funnier still (in a completely different way ((way to go English language)) is this Newsweek Story on Modesty in America that has surfaced... the story outlines several online websites and programs that espouse modesty in women's behavior and dress. These sights target younger women and are starting to gain popularity... if that sounds interesting to you, and should be because modesty is hot, then check out some of these links:

Modest Apparel USA

Modest By Design

Dress Modestly

Modesty Zone

Pure Fashion

Honestly its like someone posted a response to our letter and we can both say that we are happy to see it.

Jeremy Says: In a Perfect World...

In a perfect world caffeine would be non-addictive and proven to help add to a healthier lifestyle.

Adam and Jeremy Say: MxPx - Secret Weapon - In Stores TODAY!

MxPx - Secret Weapon - In stores today! Adam and Jeremy are offically stoked about this release and you should be as well! MxPx have been doing great punk rock for over a decade, and Secret Weapon is another fine example of their work!
Not so sure about some random band that Adam and Jeremy are touting?!? Well click over to AOL and hear MxPx's Secret Weapon from start to finish, streaming free just for you (okay that's a lame marketing slogan, but it is a free stream)!
Once you have heard the greatness you will no doubt want to run out on the spot and pick it up... well Richmond's very own Circuit City has the best deal in town $9.99, and for you fan rats who can't leave the city limits get on your scooters and hit up Plan 9 they have it on sale as well (just not quite as cheap.)
While your here check out the title track for the album, Secret Weapon...


Oh and just to remind you...

MxPx RAWKS!

Adam Says: Nickle Creek and Fiona Apple In Richmond

Many reading this rubbish right now are no doubt big fans of Fiona Apple, and many of you are no doubt are not fans of Nickel Creek. For whatever reason the latter has not attained the same hipster love that Ms. Apple has, and thus Fiona opening for Nickel Creek when the come to Richmond on August 3rd may be a suprise. Well hold it in kiddies and act cool because even though Fiona Apple is a very talented singer-song-writer-pianits she will be at least the fourth best musician on stage if not even further back. This is in no way a strike against Ms. Apple but a credit to the terrific trio that is Nickel Creek, and thus my quandry begins. I do enjoy both acts thuroughly and would love to see them, but every hipster and their mom will now be crawling all over Innsbrook to see her, not to mention the glut of obnoxious beer swilling pseudo-cultural rednecks that will show up to any live event in Richmond if it serves the nector of the gods... Can I put up with that? Can I handle being called a music lemming? To see such tallent on one stage you bet I can!

Nickel Creek and Fiona Apple

Friday August 3rd

Innsbrook

$20+

Adam and Jeremy Say: Forget Richmond vs. Asheville; Bring On Richmond vs. Mexico!

So many of you have been blogging about this RTD article that talks about Richmond patterning itself after Asheville NC... which is interesting because Jeremy lives in Asheville and I live in Richmond, so we have a very unique perspective on it, but even more interesting is the route our conversation about the article takes... from Asheville vs Richmond to a more unique solution for Richmond that does not involve just copying some other city (how has that San Antonio River Walk thing worked out?)

Adam: Check out this article where the author talks about how Richmond should be like Asheville... I thought you may enjoy.

Jeremy: I'm guessing you don't like this article. Particularly the end where the write says: “Richmond could start by encouraging local entrepreneurship and abandoning its constant search for a Downtown Savior -- a single project that will turn things around"
A completely pro capitalist statement.

Adam: It's all good... I would like to see Richmond live up its rather obvious potential... I was just thinking the other day that I think it would a great idea if Richmond started offering bigger tax breaks and incentives for businesses to bring more jobs into the city... I also think it would be great to see Richmond plan a Spanish speaking neighborhood on the south side... right now many Spanish speakers live on the south side, but Richmond seems reticent to acknowledge that... I say screw that... over people with Hispanic backgrounds incentives to move to the South side and call it little Mexico... open up community centers were people can learn English and Spanish offer all services in bi-lingual form... open up a legal services office to help low income people with legal matters including immigration... Any large city you go to has sections of town where English is the second language and the culture is decidedly un-American I think Richmond should accept and embrace that.

Jeremy: I like that idea. I'm curious about the Hispanic culture in our area. It appears to be growing, but I have no clue where they live/hang out. I see them working construction or of course we have all the Mexican restaurants, but I couldn't tell you where to find these people in the off hours. But, I think if you had a large majority of them in a certain location like "the bottom" or that’s probably different from real "south Richmond". Then I would say it would be good for the city to support something like what you are talking about.

Adam: Yeah the bottom is a whole other thing, but yeah not only would it be beneficial for the city, but think of the great PR... or bad... but Richmond would be the city that has opened it's doors to the one group people still feel like it is okay to hate... while others a trying to kick them out we are asking them to come and be part of our great city...

Jeremy: Yeah, good call. What do you think it would take to get that done?

Adam: A Mayor and City Council that get it and are not afraid to think outside of the box... It is a pretty low overhead deal... maybe a few new signs and banners like they have in DC's Chinatown, maybe you rename a few streets with Spanish names and maybe you post all the public signs in both English and Spanish... but really the idea is just to entice people into the area... but like we have already said this is not a normal idea and I don't think normal politicians would be willing to make it happen.

Jeremy: Do you have a normal mayor and city council?

Adam: Wilder might be crazy enough as a mayor but the Council are all corrupt old school politicians who would never think this far outside the box.

Jeremy: hmm....it doesn’t really seem like a hard idea to grasp? Are Hispanics really that despised up there?

Adam: I would say that people around here don't outwardly treat Hispanics poorly, but they are more than willing to continue to stereotype them and push them into some sort of servant class economically.

Jeremy: So I think you should talk to the mayor and see what they think?

Adam: A proposal of sorts...

Adam and Jeremy Say: RATM82407.com; it gets us all hot an bothered!

By now you have no doubt heard the buzz about www.ratm82407.com. The site appears to dedicated to some news about Rage Against the Machine (thus our giddiness over it), the site features two count down clocks, and the intro to Bulls on Parade (We suggest you kill the sound because the intro becomes annoying quickly when put on repeat). At any rate the clocks count down this coming Monday and August 24th respectively! Speculation about the site abounds but personally Adam and Jeremy hope that the site is counting down to an announcement about Rage Against the Machine getting back together! and then and album... we can dream we can dream.

Adam and Jeremy Say: They May Hate Us, But Do We Hate Them?

So Jeremy and I wanted to contiune our "They Hate Us and Liberty" Conversation from last week. If you did not catch it here is a link back to it, and I want to appologize in advance for the lenght of these posts, but both Jeremy and I got really into it and we hope that you chime in again with your insights.

Adam: I am really glad people like CJ are willing to hold our feet to the fire and test our faith. We could easily make all sorts of posts about faith, but never actually live out the words we write. I think it is great that people are willing to challenge each other. On some points CJ is right... I have met a handful of homosexual people in my life, and honestly I have always been too afraid to talk with them about their sexuality because I want to act normal around them, and I don’t want to offend anyone. I guess its some twisted logic of mine that I want people who are different from me to feel the same as people who are the same as me... but in that process I learn about jobs, sports, cars, etc. but I never learn about the deeper issues a person is facing. I think the point CJ makes is that we want to be loving and accepting of people, but until we stop “acting” loving and accepting and start getting to know what is going on below the surface then we will never really be able to know and love them... maybe he is right...

Jeremy: I agree. He is right in that Jesus tells us to be loving, and we should definitely do that with everyone including gays. But I also think he makes a good point, that we can say we love them, but if we don't make a little extra effort like "getting to really know one and talk to them about it", then are we really loving them or just simply "treating them normal"? Take for example my brother. I have never had a deep intimate conversation about his sexuality with him (then again, what straight brothers usually have that conversation?). I think he knows I love him, and unlike my dad and sister I have never had an argument with him about it and told him he was wrong. Plus, inviting Gary (my brothers partner) to our wedding I think was an effort of me and Jax to show that we still want them to be part of our lives even though we don't agree. I remember the rest of my family all reacting funny when we told them we were inviting Gary. I’m not trying to buff myself up, but all to say, I think we were making an effort, but I still haven’t gone as far as CJ has described with asking the hard, personal questions.
And the following is probably a good indicator as to why I should ask:
“I don't want to because I know it could make me uncomfortable.”

Adam: I think in some measure you are right in loving your brother and Gary without asking tough questions about their sexuality... I mean you know they are gay... so I don't know if there is a need to go past that... now you may want to talk to your brother about how he discovered his sexuality... or if something like your parents divorce had something to do with it, but I think those are questions about people and not questions about sexual preference... in the end the only difference between you and he is your fondness for the fairer sex right?

It was either Peter or Paul who said that we as Christians should focus on what is good, pure, beautiful, fare, just, etc. in our pursuit of peace, and I think the same holds true with anyone who you interact with... your focus should not be what their sins are or what your differences’ are, but instead your focus should be what is good, beautiful, and pure in them. We are all God's creation and on that level we are all equal.

I don't think we need to speak anymore about Dr. Falwell since that topic has been so overdone of late. So let’s move past that to an interesting point. Several people who commented made reference to living like Christ, and how if we lived like Christ then we would be respected and loved. I have a few thoughts on that. One it is interesting how a conversation about the hateful things people say about Liberty and its students has become so personal to you and I. I think I was originally just ticked at the hypocrisy of people who called themselves open minded but then stereotyped every Liberty student in a negative manner.

I think that people forget what the teachings of Christ where and what they meant... Jesus Christ was killed for his teachings and actions obviously they are not they kind of teachings and actions that make everyone love and adore you. I agree that Jesus tough a great amount about loving your neighbor and doing right and there are many Christians today who do not do anything close to that on a personal level,
However Christ also told us to die to ourselves, to admit that there is a God who created us and is over us and we should obey Him, He taught that we need to sacrifice in order that others can be first, He told us we must serve, all of which runs counter to Americas current culture. Now we want what’s best for us, no matter the cost. We make the rules we decide what is right and what is wrong, we put ourselves first and make others pay. Our society is Greedy, Selfish, and as I said before Shameless. These are all things Jesus preached against, violently at times, just ask the Pharisees in the Temple when Jesus cleaned house. So I don't know if people really mean it when they tell others to follow Christ’s' example or if maybe they just want us to follow the parts of Christ example that are warm and fuzzy.

Finally I think what you and I do in our service to the Lord as far as serving; loving, giving and sacrifice are personal and are not appropriate for this medium. Obviously if someone challenges you on your actions of love you want to respond with a list of all the righteous things you have done, but that defeats the purpose. We are called to love unconditionally not because it makes us look or feel good but because it is what God asks of us. I think Jesus summed it up when told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (I might have the wrong occupation there) who were both at the temple praying... the Pharisee was praying out loud in flowery language so everyone could see how holy he was while the tax collector prayed silently and was humble... in the end Jesus tells us that the righteous man was the tax collector because he was praying to God while the Pharisee was really praying to impress man.

Jeremy: Good call. I don't want to give a list to prove our piety either. I like what you said on focusing on what is good, pure, and right. The hard part about that is that there is a "sexual preference" wall in between us, and I guess we could just ignore it....or can you? I guess the truth is, we can still love them despite them being gay, and we can even be loving in a conversation about it with them, but doesn't that also mean being open and honest from our perspective? I mean we can always sit there and listen and understand, but shouldn't I also be able to be honest about how I feel about it? Can I still be loving and tell them why I think what they are doing is wrong?

Adam: I think you are touching on an important point there... Dialogue! It does not really matter what the difference is; whether it’s sexual preference, political ideals or your favorite music we should all be open and willing to talk about it. That becomes tough though when dialogue turns into abuse, and it is even tougher to begin dialogue when it begins with abuse, as was the case when we began this discussion. I would like to see a place where people could all hold to the same standard in relation to dialoguing differences... it seems so often that one side is required to be accepting and loving while the other side can become offended and vindictive. You are right in saying that you should be able to be honest about how you feel and in return a person who disagrees with you should be honest about how they feel, but I think that too often we make comments about our feelings without giving concrete reasoning behind our feelings, and that can be a problem.

Take the abortion debate for example. I oppose the practice of abortion, and when I discuss this topic if I stopped there and just told people I was in opposition to the practice then the conversation would not get very far, but I try to take it a step or two further. I explain that I support the use of birth control before conception and that I huge supporter of adoption after birth, but I believe that abortion is wrong because it ends the life of a person created by God. Sometimes this gives me an opportunity to talk about common ground with people who do not agree. For example many who support the practice are also supporters of adoption and are more willing to talk about adoption than wasting time trying to beat each other up over abortion. However there are those who will argue and be hateful no matter what, and I guess it is those types of people who began this whole thing... and while we have yet to come up with an answer that satisfies I do think this discussion has given us pause to think...

Do we understand others? Are we giving them a chance to explain so that we can understand? Are we meeting people’s physical needs? Can we comprehend a person’s point of view if we have not had any real contact with that person’s world?

As cynical as it sounds Rage Against the Machine may have had a point when they sang "Know your enemy" not that I view those who disagree and oppose me as enemies but I think it is beneficial to understand who they are.

In the end the Bible tells us that Christians will be known by there love for one another, and I hope that people can see that you and I are loving

Adam and Jeremy Say: Sufjan Stevens and My Brightest Diamond Take Away Our Breath

Hey we really appreciate all of your comments, and the discussion that has sparked from our last post, and we are seriously excited to revisit and continue it, but we want to take our time so be on the look out for that.

You know by now that Adam and Jeremy are huge fans of Sufjan Stevens (us and three billion others), My Brightest Diamond, and the Take Away Shows website so it would not surprise you to hear that we nearly reached nirvana when the Take Away Shows featured videos from Sufjan and My Brightest Diamond... its amazing stuff you should check it out. I love the French, they also have a long form performance from Sufjan and friends record at the music now festival in Cincinnati that you need to click over and check out!

#50.3 - My Brightest Diamond (MusicNow) - Like a sieve
Uploaded by lablogotheque

#50.2 - Sufjan Stevens (MusicNow) - The lakes of Canada
Uploaded by lablogotheque

Seriously check out the Take Away Shows' website and get stoked! Oh and get extra stoked for new Sufjan Stevens in the very near future!!!

Adam and Jeremy Say: People Hate Us and Liberty

Adam: So I was on this guys blog today (we will leave it nameless) and the whole thing was devoted to how he hated Dr. Falwell and how evil Dr. Falwell was; you know the routine, but then the guy gets all angry about Liberty... he calls us fools for attending the school and says that we are buying into lies and making the world a worse place...
Why are people ignorant like that? Why do they stereotype and make ad homenum attacks on Liberty and its students? Sure some people from LU suck, but so that‘s just the way the world works... take homosexuals for example (since that seems to be a flash point in the Liberty discussions) most people who are gay are pretty normal... but then there are some who feel the need to crude and brash... like not only am I gay but I am also flamboyant and shameless and I want to force you to accept me because I am gay in all my over the top glory... okay... glad to hear your gay... but I have a thing against assless chaps... not against you just the fact that you and your partner are walking around in assless chaps... Am I crazy... am I missing something?

Jeremy: My initial reaction to this kind of persecution is to fight back and be hateful towards them. “They suck, and are stupid and ignorant.” Then my thinking changes just a bit towards, “hey, if they want to make themselves look like a big jerks then let them.” I think rational people will determine that they have crossed the line socially, and then judge their comments accordingly. Of course, Jerry at times "crossed the line socially", but he was quick to either apologize or explain himself.
HOWEVER
That of course doesn't give these jerks the right to go ahead and do the same thing back. In the great words of Derek Webb: "an eye for an eye will never satisfy" Any who, we can’t stop people from being stupid and making dumb comments like that, and I don't think we should fight back and come up with reasons justifying why we are right and they are wrong...even though it seems easy. People are always going to be ignorant, and people are always going to persecute you for loving Jesus (John 15:18-26)Oh well....

Adam: You are right... but I think when Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, He is not telling us to ignore it, but telling us to respond to it respectfully, Rob Bell talked about how culturally Jesus was telling his followers to stand up for themselves but not to be disrespectful... I think it is incumbent on us to love those who hate us, and to stand up and tell them that. "Hey I think you are wrong, and I don’t like what you said, but I love you and want to understand what causes your hate."

Jeremy: I think we may have brushed on this topic before. I hate being taken advantage of and being picked on for stupid stuff, but I don't really know where to draw the line on fighting back and standing up for myself.
I think you make a very good point, and if we could pull some scripture together to back that up, that would be cool. Did Mr. Bell reference any verses?

It’s like on one hand you have the homeless guy who sits at the intersections and begs for money knowing that he could make 10 bucks an hour just because people are nice. I feel like the homeless dude is taking advantage of people like that, and I don't want to give them money, but Jesus says to give to the poor. And then there are those jerks who think they can just slander Christians verbally as much as they want because they know we are nice and won’t hate them back.

Adam: In essence Jesus told Peter that he is to forgive unconditionally and forever. However, Jesus also told his disciples that unlike Moses they should turn the other cheek. Was he telling them to be push-overs? On the surface you would think that means that He is saying we should let ourselves be walked over, but there is more to the story. Jesus is preaching to believers in Jerusalem around 30 AD or so and because of that there are context clues in the culture of the time that help us to better understand what He was saying.... this may take a bit of explaining but I think it is cool when you hear it out...

So before the advent of modern plumbing many cultures had sanitary rules about what hand to use in restroom activities and what hand to use in every day life. This is still the case in places like rural India. In Israel the rule was that you used your left hand for your restroom duties and your right for everything else (eating, handshaking whatever.) This is important because this would mean that if someone were to strike a cheek they would use their right hand to strike your left cheek... try it at home... but then if you turn your right cheek to them it becomes impossible for them to strike you with their right hand, in fact the really only way to do it would be with your left, but here is the rub... in that culture using the left hand was severely frowned upon and would be considered shameful, and you can probably guess that at that time shame was a big deal (yeah shame only died about ten years ago) so what Jesus is saying is take it, be forgiving but take it standing up... they hit you then you stand up turn the other cheek and say alright you want to hit me then why don’t you hit me here too... obviously those who are truly evil would do it, but in reality Jesus was espousing a form of non-violent civil disobedience... sound familiar(MLKJ)? So while Jesus obviously teaches us to forgive... I think at the same time He is not telling us to get walked on... do you know what I am saying?... now the part that hangs me up... what is the practical interpretation of this in our modern culture?

Jeremy: I was looking at different translations for that passage of scripture.The Message is a bit interesting:"...Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously...

Adam: So maybe our best response is this... "Thank You for hating us because we believe in a risen savior and the led us to attend school at Liberty University, which was founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell. We are sorry that our schooling upsets you, and we hope that we change your mind in the future." Does that seem like a logical and loving response... or is it too jerky?

Jeremy: Maybe a bit too jerky and sarcastic. I don't think I would really thank someone for hating me.

Adam: Yeah... but How do you stand up for yourself while still being Loving?

Jeremy: That is the question we are trying to answer, huh? See that's where I don't know where to draw the line, and I think it's a case by case basis. I mean you have to react to people differently. All people accept love in different ways, so I think whatever's best for the situation, but again....I don't necessarily know how to do it. Sometimes I’ll instinctively(or holy spirit led) react and say things that I had no idea where they came from, and later ill be like, "holy sweet!, how did I come up with that?" truth is, it was probably the holy spirit taking over my body and using it and I had nothing to do with it.

Adam: I hear what you are saying about the Holy Spirit guiding us, and I agree. I mean really the point is our sinful selves want to get ego stuck up in it, but in reality its like Peter said, you will be persecuted for your faith and you should consider it a blessing. The real point is that we need to rely on the Grace of God to guide us and we need focus on his peace instead trying to make our own... That's just what I think.

Jeremy: You pretty much summed it up, so I don’t have much thought in addition to that. I was thinking about how different people need to be loved differently, and how "tough love" is really the best kind for some people. I was also thinking about how "being nice" and "being loving" may not necessarily be the same thing. I’m not sure exactly where that fits in the thing with the deal, but you know what I’m saying.