​what i love most about the oscars:

that glen hansard now has one.

also, i love watching acceptance speeches. my wife, toni, cannot stand acceptance speeches. i argue that this is when those people become human, when slight cracks in the facade appear and we get to peer inside, find out what motivates them, decide whether their actions and words in their moment of glory are a result of being genuinely affected and humbled by the event or are merely presenting further affectations and projections of a calculatingly conceived persona, stuff like that. she says, “no, this is when those people become nervous and incoherent and say stuff they’ll regret, or forget to say stuff that they will then regret not saying. nothing good will come of it and i for one will not participate in such suffering.”

​she literally can’t be in the same room as an acceptance speech.

here’s some of what she missed last night during the 80th academy awards ceremony:

marion cottilard, performance by an actress in a leading role: “Oh — thank you so much. Olivier, what you did to me, Maestro Olivier Dahan, you rocked my life. You truly rocked my life… …And — wow. Well, I’m speechless now. I — I — well, I — thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city. Thank you so, so much. [mandates an effusive french accent for it to achieve a convincing and effective air.]

daniel day-lewis, performance by an actor in a leading role: “…I’m looking at this gorgeous thing you’ve given me and I’m thinking back to the first devilish whisper of an idea that came to him and everything since and it seems to me that this sprang like a golden sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson… [what? this doesn’t even make sense! seriously, this guy is crazy. a golden sapling? this is a hyperbolic positive to the greatest degree. well, actually, the speech was quite good, crazy, but good, just like mr day-lewis.]

glen hansard, achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song): Thanks! This is amazing. What are we doing here? This is mad… …This is amazing. Make art. Make art. Thanks. [except when he said “thanks” it sounded like “tanks”. he’s irish.]

Ethan Coen, adapted screenplay: “We, uh and thank you very much.”

then later… Ethan Coen, achievement in directing: “I don’t have a lot to add to what I said earlier.”

see. now, that is just good television.

​i must admit, it was hard to sit through three “enchanted” performances knowing mr. vedder and his musical contributions to “into the wild” had been passed over. but, i’m pretty sure the three “enchanted” songs split the academy votes allowing glen (and marketa irglova) to win. had eddie been in the mix the glen (and marketa irglova) votes would most likely have been split and i am really glad that glen won. he probably wouldn’t have, had eddie been in the mix. so, i’m sure you can see the problem with finding any issue whatsoever with the three “enchanted” songs, as “falling slowly”, from the “once” soundtrack, as performed by glen hansard (and marketa irglova), is just ridiculously beautiful, yes?

[Video unavailable]
​
oh, and also, john travolta is a scientolgist with an ot (operating thetan) level of V.

so we were waiting for our flight to pittsburgh when i told bwack our drummer, after he had showed me his playlist that he said he would post later, and after he told me he was very tempted to cheat but that his list turned out ok and that he was then glad that it turned out ok so he wouldn’t have to cheat, i told him, i said, “i’m going to video mine. i’ll get on the plane, sit down, open my laptop up and see what happens. of course i can video multiple attempts and just post the best one, but they won’t know that, they’ll think they’re seeing it happen right in front of their eyes, sort of magic like.” but i knew i wouldn’t really, cheat that is. unless the bee gees popped up. then i would. but i sat down on the plane and i opened my laptop up. and this is what happened exactly the first time. this is who i am. i guess. sort of. at least tonight, on my way to pittsburgh.

in case there were visual difficulties, here it is in alternate form:

1. broken chords can sing a little – a silver mt. zion
2. chief – patty griffin
3. mrs. robinson – the lemonheads
4. reservations – wilco
5. love can damage your health – telepopmusik
6. super-charger heaven – white zombie
7. diamondback – mekka
8. goodbye – patty griffin
9. blue turning gray – clap your hands say yeah
10. bubble toes – jack johnson

bonus: (this game is too difficult to discontinue once started!)
11. joyful noise 4 – crowder cover (a live recording from a board mix, background vocals only, of a group from atlanta ga covering one of our songs that has a lot of words, many of which they had not yet learned. awesome.)
12. all good naysayers, speak up! or forever hold your peace! – sufjan stevens
13. nlg 1.0 (this would be the first mix of ‘never let go’. our labeling system is now no longer a secret. now if you only knew where to look on www next time around.)
14. hanging around – cardigans
15. it’s good to be king – tom petty
​
i might comment later regarding your playlists and reveal who i’d like to hang out with and such. actually, i doubt i’ll say who i’d hang out with based on a shuffled playlist as that would be ridiculous. but, i’ve read them all, the playlists, and, in summary, wow. on the surface it would appear that many of them are incongruous (ian fleming likes this word a lot so i thought i’d try it here) with others. i’m going to have to think about what significance this might hold, i think. also, out of all of your playlists, there was only one britney spears song. that too seems significant. britney spears is an anagram for presbyterians.

some pals of mine asked this of me, and now i ask it of you:

1. grab your preferred digital media player. 
2. push play in shuffle mode. 
3. report here in the comments the first 10 tunes that pop up. 
4. i’ll comment later with my list as well.
5. cheating is prohibited, as it would be in poor taste.
6. this will decide whether you are a likeable person or not.
7. at least that’s what my friend steve told me.
8. when he said this, the part about being a likeable person, i panicked.
9. but it turned out he was kidding.
10. sort of.
11. he did seem genuinely bothered by the two bee gees tunes though.
12. i mean, 2 out of 10!
13. that’s quite a lot of bee gees really.
14. but what i’m trying to say is don’t cheat.
15. you’re still a great person.
16. at least i think so.
17. well, maybe.
18. i mean, we don’t really know each other, so it’s sort of risky for me to say that, the you being a ‘great person’ thing.
19. i mean, you could be someone who pulls the wings off of fairies and such.
20. so, if you’ll just comment back listing the 10 songs, then i think we’ll know each other a little better, and can then perhaps make statements about one another definitively.
21. concrete things like, “oh, i see you like the bee gees.”
22. of course i’ll deny it and say, “no. i mean, yeah, i like that one song, but i wouldn’t say, ‘i like the bee gees.’ i wouldn’t go that far. no.”
23. then you’ll go, “i’m sorry, we can’t spend any more time together.”
​
ps. if you typically read at a safe distance without comment, i humbly request you make exception and allow this to be your introductory entry as i’ll need representation from the silent majority.

first i should point out that it seems a number of subscribers still have an old link for this blog. you need to rid yourself of the old link and apply the new one for a much more aesthetically pleasing experience. if you cannot view the “chat” window then you are not viewing this in an appropriate manner.

http://www.xanga.com/emprise34

if this is the first you’ve heard or seen of the “chat’ window, then what follows will make very little sense. there is a tv/chat module on my blog page that you can submit questions to. a while back, the good people of emprisetv’s chat room suggested a system of answering the questions posted in the questions section, it being that i answer them here in a post. and so i shall. i think the way it is supposed to work is i’m supposed to choose the ones that have been voted for most and answer those, but that is sheer nonsense. there is no question too small, and so i will attempt to open the inner machinery of my mind for all who have shown curiosity. i will start toward the most recent and work my way through with no strict adherence to order.

and so, let us begin:

question number 1: “just curious, do you know if you guys are playing soulfest 2008 yet?”

the answer to this one is simple. yes. we do know.

question number 2: “is there ever a time when you feel that performing is just business as usual?”

the answer to this one is less simple. the short and truthful answer is “no.” where it gets a tad complicated is when i attempt to enunciate the fact that we never feel like we are performing. where the word, “performing,” feels an improper description, i’d suggest a more accurate term might be, “facilitating.” we are using music to create an atmosphere, or environment, that brings an awareness of the reality we live in: the very presence of god. this, in my mind, can by no means ever become “business as usual.” it just seems an impossibility. as well, we just plain love music and the making of it together. add to this rooms of people singing along with us and it’s just pretty fantastic, to be perfectly forthcoming.

question 3: “another world is possible?”

this is perhaps the most complex question of the bunch. for one, if not for the slight bit of punctuation at the end, this could be a rather robust statement or admonition. but, with the addition of the interrogation point, i’ll assume the intent was in fact to interrogate. so, then i must decide if this is a statement of determinism vs freewill or perhaps senordiecast was inhaling mind altering substances when a transcendental moment presented itself with no one around to share it with. after much thought, i have decided that senordiecast does not smoke the johnson grass and was in fact presenting a theological and metaphysical dilemma. and so, i will answer with verve and reverence as i believe. yes, senordiecast, yes, another world is possible.

question 4: “nite dcb. have a safe trip and sweet dreams. thanks for allowing us into your world. blessings, bongo 😁”

this is not a question. however, it is a very kind statement and well appreciated as such.

question 5: “what’s in the fridge?”

(judging by the date of this question it was obviously asked in regards to the fridge on our bus. since i currently am not on the bus the answer that follows is completely fictious.)

three shelves
a light
7 aluminum cans that contain diet coke
8 aluminum cans that contain sprite
a large number of bottled waters (i’m unsure about the pluralization of “water” here. of course, i could have typed, bottles of water, but instead went with the colloquial.)
1 styrofoam carry out box with some brown, unidentifiable food stuffs that is pungent and enveloping.
4 ketchup packets
some grapes
various cheeses
a bag of lettuce
mitt romney
2 opened boxes of baking soda that are obviously losing the battle with the styrofoam-box-food-stuff’s aromas
a fork (!?)
3 dr peppers
1 bottle of yellow mustard
wait? mitt romney? 
seriously, it is just not possible that mitt romney is in our fridge. that would be ridiculous. and what kind of name is “mitt”?
also, the patriots did not have a perfect season

question 6: “i went to the show in cincinatti and there was alcohol being served. i was shocked that it was being served at a christian concert. can you tell me why it was being served?”

yes. i’m pretty sure that the bar was selling alcohol because it is a bar and that’s what bars sell. they typically like to make money and so they buy things, such as beers, from a distributor for a certain price and then mark it up to sell to people so that they will get a profit and get to pay their employees and get to stay open and such. alcohol is usually a pretty big seller for bars. i am sorry this was shocking.

i might add, both historically and currently, there are many people who love jesus, and follow him, that also enjoy alcohol regularly. if you have not encountered these people first hand, you should attempt to enlarge your peer circle and i think you’ll get a clearer picture of the diversity of the body of christ. there are denominations and traditions that denounce alcohol, and there are those that condone it. these beliefs are typically culturally specific and attached to a particular sect’s interpretations of a few particular passages in scripture. i should state here that we, as a band and as individuals, do not, in any way, condone drunkenness, as it is stupid, nor under-aged drinking as it is also stupid and against the law, and trust that those in attendance at various dates on our club tour are intelligent enough to arrive at both of these conclusions as well. it is not very difficult to observe the damaging effects of abusing alcohol. it is simple that way; abuse it, it abuses you back, most of the time immediately.

(an aside: in my experience, most conversations about alcohol with those who adamantly reject it as a possible beverage choice, present that it could cause a brother to stumble. this is awful logic. apply this logic to various food items ordered at your next public meal. there will doubtlessly be present various numbers of people who struggle with obesity or high cholesterol or heart disease, who would really love one of your cheesesticks. there will also be those present who are vegetarian, myself included, who are attempting to not ingest meat. i’m sure you see the trouble with this line of thinking. this was the very argument that peter and paul were having regarding idol meat. i will not attempt further argument here since there is plenty to find out there, if one were truly curious, that would present things in a much more scholarly and organized manner than i could hope to present it. i will also state here that i shall not require you to cease your carnivorous ways while sharing a restaurant with me.)

and finally, i should state the reasons we went on a tour that had as its venues bars and clubs exclusively. we wished for the story of god to be experienced beyond the safety of our cloistered church environments. it was our deep hope that many who would not frequent a bar would come join us and experience the reality of the presence of god in an environment that they might not typically suspect to experience such a thing in. we believe, if we are reading scripture correctly, that once the veil was torn, that in an instant, suddenly, god was everywhere. the symbolism and consequences of this moment are epic! the way human beings access the maker of heaven and earth were forever changed. suddenly, once and for all, through the ultimate sacrificial offering, suddenly, he is everywhere. every second is lived in the very presence of god. there is no moment that is not holy. there is no space that is not sacred. it is the awareness of our reality that shifts, not this reality. therefore, all that is needed is for our awareness to change and we begin to view spaces and people and cultures and music and art and eating and drinking and sleeping and waking as moments and spaces and places where god is already active and present. our hope on this tour was to give people a physical, tangible experience of this reality.

question 7: “what’s your favorite guitar to doodle around with?”

my olson.

question 8: “i went to the manhattan ks concert and there was no alcohol being served. can you tell me why?”

yes. because of question number 6.

question 9: “what does emprise34’s profile picture mean?”

self explanatory.

question 10: “when are you coming back to austin?”

i don’t know. i think i might go down there to eat at papasito’s on friday. i love me some salsa.

question 11: “oh yeah, my husband is a music pastor, and he truly looks up to you guys. and i guess what i’m trying to say is… can he come over and play with ya’ll?”

the short answer is, “i doubt it.” i have made a couple of assumptions here: one, that when you say, “play,” you intend the verb to indicate the making of music, and you do not intend it to denote your husband’s coming over for the engagement of imaginative pretense. second, i also have assumed by your usage of the colloquial, “ya’ll,” you live close enough to us for this -– his coming over – to be a real possibility, as in you don’t live in new york or calgary. and so with reluctance and careful thought i answered, “i doubt it.” here’s why: first of all, we never, ever, just sit around playing music. this is proven fact. we have only practiced as a band once and it didn’t go well. so we just don’t. and also, i too am on staff at a church and when i am in town i’m spending most of my time catching up with what i missed out on while away and trying to get stuff done for when i’m away next. ben, one of our community pastors at the chuch, is also a fantastic musician, a guitar player to be exact. ben is always wanting me to “play” with him and i never have the time. he always says, “hey dave, let’s jam.” (he doesn’t really use the word, “jam”. no one would use that word, ever. my use here and now being the exception, obviously.) “no, ben,” i say. “i’m sorry, but i cannot.” seriously, you can ask him. so, if there arises such an occasion to have someone come over and, “play,” unfortunately, ben has first dibs.

question 12: “you may not know how to answer this, but i’m gonna ask anyway. how are you guys so stinkin’ cool?”

magnets.

question 13: “will we get to watch you guys play golf on this new tv contraption?”

yes.

question 14: “do you know the muffin man?”

yes. and actually his name is robert. he prefers, “robert,” to, “muffin man.” just something to keep in mind.

question 15: “my name is david. this is my blog. every time i try to answer a question it gets deleted! so my question is, how do i answer these questions without deleting them?”

self explanatory.

OK KIDS. THAT’S ALL FOR NOW. MORE TO COME AT A LATER TIME.