Matt Crum's Deep Thoughts

Baby Blog: Week 20

2011-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Emily and I went in for our 20 week appointment yesterday and for those of you who know anything about this milestone appointment that meant we got to find out the sex of our baby.
...
...
...
...
...WE"RE HAVING A BOY!!!!

The nurse did an ultrasound for about a half hour—taking pictures of the brain, heart, spine, hands and arms, and... well, you know, the essentials. We wanted to wait to find out with Tom and Elsie, and Bekah, Errek and Addy so we turned our heads while the nurse made the discovery and had the results placed in a sealed envelope. Emily and I had a nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then we headed over to the Suhr's for the reveal. Just after 7 o'clock we opened the envelope and found out the great news.
I think we kind of expected a boy. The odds pointed towards it, and it just figured that in the Crum family a boy would be the likely outcome.
We have already decided on a name... Landon Thomas, so the next steps are to get the nursery ready (see pic of furniture) and start registering for all things baby.
Twenty weeks is essentially the half-way point of this pregnancy. We are excited to meet our son and know that the next 20 weeks (give or take) will be full of anticipation.

Revival

2011-08-19T08:29:00.001-04:00

This is not a baby update. We have our next appointment at the end of the month and are excited to find out the sex of our little one. Stay tuned.
This is a quick music/movie post. I watched the trailer for Machine Gun Preacher this morning. Looks interesting.

What I really took away from the trailer was the song that was playing at the end. Google pointed me to the band Soulsaver and the song "Revival." Enjoy.

Baby Blog: Week 9 Update

2011-06-14T09:35:00.001-04:00

If you, my reader, successfully navigated the previous post Addy wears a pink shirt… then you hopefully discovered that Emily and I are expecting our first child. I thought it might be worthwhile to use my blog as a journal, to chronicle this new adventure in our lives as we embark into the realm or parenthood.

We had our first doctor’s visit last week where we saw an ultrasound and got to hear the heartbeat, and while Emily has been quite sick over the past couple weeks, each day brings us closer to our due date—January 20. That day seems like such a long ways away. There are summer vacations, holidays, the start of school for Emily, a new year and a second birthday for Addy (Jan. 19) all before the baby is due. Right now we’re just looking forward to getting past the sickness and then I imagine we will really begin our anticipation stage. Getting things ready. Maybe painting a nursery (although Thomas is currently living in the “nursery” so that will probably wait until the end of the year). There will be baby showers and follow up appointments. From what I can gather at our 18-20 week appointment they will be able to perform an “anatomy screening.” I like how clinical they make that sound. Basically it’s the boy/girl inspection. For know I will refrain from the ambiguous “it” when referring to the baby. He or she will be used in its place and when we do find out (which we plan to do) you (and I mean you!!!) will be the first to know… or at least you’ll find out before Obama (unless you’re reading my blog Mr. President).

Keep us in your prayers. Pray for a healthy baby, a worry-free pregnancy and especially pray that Emily would be able to rest and be relieved of her nausea.

Addy wears a pink shirt...

2011-06-10T13:43:00.001-04:00

Click on photo to see more!!

Tattoo Idea #1

2011-06-01T15:38:00.000-04:00

I doodled an idea during a meeting today and came up with this:

I used the M. C. Escher lithograph Hand with Reflecting Sphere...

...and Photoshopped a stock photography globe (b&w) over top.

I added the Bible verse and made color changes in Powerpoint.

myTunes 3.0

2011-05-16T10:38:00.002-04:00

You are invited to download and listen to my latest mixtape… CD mix… MP3 mix—myTunes 3.0. It’s been several years in the making but really just includes songs from the last year. I hope you enjoy.

Track Listing:
1. Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club
2. Federal Funding – Cake
3. Cameras – Matt & Kim
4. Around My Head – Cage the Elephant
5. Colours – Grouplove
6. Numb – The Airborne Toxic Event
7. My Body – Young the Giant
8. Pale Black Eye – Manchester Orchestra
9. Pyro – Kings of Leon
10. Shake Me Down – Cage the Elephant
11. Substitution – Silversun Pickups
12. What You Know – Two Door Cinema Club
13. Bound Away - Cake

Tattoo Number Two

2011-04-28T10:08:00.000-04:00

When I was ~~18, 19, 20 or 21 (it’s been so long I can’t remember)~~ younger I got a tattoo on my back. It says “CRUM” in Old English typeface. It was inspired by the Sublime album cover that featured the tattooed back of lead singer Brad Nowell. I don’t regret it. I just wish I had had it done by someone with more of a professional touch. When I look at it now it kind of looks like a jailhouse tat. I can tell what it says, but I have had other people question it, asking if it said “cram.” I got my tattoo during what I’d call my rebellious years. Now, my parents never told me not to get a tattoo. We never talked about it. But I knew that getting one wouldn’t make them happy. I wasn’t living at home and wanted to make an independent decision. Little did I know that I would be paving the way for impressionable brothers to follow in my footsteps. Now I am 31 (almost 32) and I only have the one tattoo. My brother David just got his fifth, equaling the amount of ink that bro Nate has. Thomas has one too. In fact the three of them have a similar tattoo to mine. Nate has “CRUM,” in Old English typeface, on his arm. David’s is down his side and Thomas recently got it on his back (just like his big bro… except he his looks a lot better). I have thought about getting another tattoo. I like the idea of it but don’t know what I would get. I see my brothers’ tattoos and am inspired to get another one. Nate has this cool tattoo on one of his arms near the inner side of his forearm and bicep (opposite his elbow). It’s the tree of life growing in one direction and the tree of death in the other with the roots of both joined together. I’m pretty sure he designed it himself which is even cooler.

Nate's "Trees" tattoo - photo courtesy of Facebook

David's "Revolver" tattoo - photo courtesy of Facebook

And then there’s David’s most recent tattoo. I don’t know if he really likes guns or what but the idea behind his latest tat is pretty cool. It’s a revolver on his hip that, when wearing pants, looks like it’s tucked into his waistband. It may not have any symbolic meaning behind it, but it sure looks sweet.

A few months back I made a deal with myself. I said, “Self, if you can lose weight and get down to 200 pounds you can get another tattoo.” Of course I had to run this deal past my wife, and she gave her permission. I guess she feels that as long as I get motivated and lose the weight, a tattoo is an acceptable reward. The progress has been slow. I have not really been motivated to get this done quickly. Perhaps if I had a cool tattoo design in mind, that would provide better motivation.

Thomas' "CRUM" tattoo - photo courtesy of Facebook

So here’s the kicker. I’m not comfortable enough with my artistic skills to draw my own design, so I’m taking suggestions. If you have a tat design that you think I’d like, send me a sketch. I’m not real sure where I want it yet (Emily doesn’t want it anywhere that would show) but I’m leaning towards my chest or upper arm/shoulder. As designs pour in I will post my favorites.

Instagram

2011-03-04T16:19:00.004-05:00

It's a pretty cool app. Apply filters to your photos and post them online. It's kind of like a Facebook status with pictures. You can follow friends and comment and "Like" their pics. Check out this photo I took and the cool "Apollo" effect I used. BTW... it's a free app.

What makes a Best Picture?

2011-02-28T09:28:00.001-05:00

I’ve never really thought about the Oscars from a “how would I choose” perspective until last night. As Inception was pulling in awards it dawned on me that even though they may be the big winner (overall count) the film would probably still miss out on the big prizes, namely the main event, “Best Picture.” (Inception and The King's Speech both won four Oscars.)

To me it makes sense that a movie with the most overall recognition, not just nominations but actual awards won, would be a more notable contender. Even before the night began everyone was giving the final statue to The King’s Speech with The Social Network as a close second. So why not Inception?

Nominated for eight Oscars, and a winner in four categories, it seemed like Inception was not receiving the buzz it deserved. Sure, they all say it’s an honor to even be nominated, and that is often recognition enough. But they have to say that.

I haven’t heard the king speak so I can’t bring my thoughts about that film into this discussion. From the few clips I have seen it does look interesting and well done. I did join the millions who friended the Facebook movie and really enjoyed it (and was especially happy that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won for original score). Still I feel that a movie like Inception, that was technically award-winning, should have had more of a chance at the big prize. What does Nolan have to do to win an Oscar? Let’s hope that the next Batman movie is as good as the first two and that the Academy does a Peter Jackson and awards him for his entire work.

It had to be hard to choose a “best” from the list of ten movies. My plans are to watch the seven films from that list that I haven’t seen and decide for myself.

P.S. My favorite moment was when James Franco recognized the engineers who had received awards at a prior ceremony by saying “Congratulations nerds!!”

The Big Ten… 11… 12… who’s counting?

2011-01-12T15:55:00.006-05:00

When I moved to Indiana back in 1994 the Big Ten Conference had just recently expanded to 11 teams (to include Penn State). A revamped logo captured this expansion with a subtle number 11 within the wording of Big Ten. In 2011 the conference is expanding to include Nebraska. This creates more of a complex problem. The Big 12 Conference already exists (but it’s shrinking) and the Big Ten is expanding to 12 teams. While the conference name isn’t changing there is a major change taking place. The Big Ten will separate the schools into two divisions for football. It was announced last year that Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern would make up the Legends Division; Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin are all within the Leaders Division.

Those vague division names “Leaders” and “Legends” are causing quite a bit controversy with the fans. No one likes them. I have spent some time coming up with an appropriate compromise and here’s what I have concluded.

The Big Ten should change its name simply for the reason that the number 10 is misleading. Since most of the schools are located in states that also have schools in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) I suggest calling it the Big MAC.
As for the football division, make a few swaps and you get a geographical split while maintaining a balance across each division.

West Division: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
East Division: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
(Bold indicates schools swapping places)

Jim Delany, if you’re reading this A.) Don’t you have more important things to do than read some random blog, but B.) I think I make a valid point and you should consider making these changes.

Quite the solution and free of charge.

I'm back

2011-01-07T11:25:00.005-05:00

A quick look at the last time-stamp on the last entry in this blog and you’ll notice that I haven’t posted anything new on here since July. In fact, for all of 2010 I had just four posts… that’s pretty lame by me.

I’m not in the business of making promises, so this post isn’t going to be about how I’ll be blogging a lot more in 2011, but I will try. I have been blogging, just not on this, my personal blog. Last year, in an effort to increase interest and promote conversation in my fantasy football league, I created a blog. The blogs was for the members of the league—a place to share ideas, trash talk and post other fun stuff. It was a hit. Each week I would post a recap of the fantasy matchups, breaking down the stats and pointing out interesting little league tidbits. Others would post about comical happenings or league predictions and by seasons end most everyone in the league had participated in this new forum.

I managed to stay at the same job this past year, so that’s good.

2010 was also the year of Addy. My brolow and sister-in-law had their first child Jan. 19, 2010, a girl named Addyson. It has been amazing to watch her grow and see her personality develop so much over the course of one year. She has just started walking and we’re all looking forward to celebrating her first birthday.

2010 was also a year of road trips. These were welcomed adventures as I had just purchased a new car, a 2007 Saturn Aura, back in February. I travelled to Parris Island, SC at the end of March to see my brothers Thomas and David graduate from Marine Corps basic training.

In May Emily and I went to Missouri for my brother Nate’s wedding, and in June Emily and I spent a week at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. It had probably been 8-9 years since I had been to Disney. I felt like a kid again riding my favorite rides and reliving memories from my childhood. We had the park-hopper passes and enjoyed all the theme parks. My favorite attraction was the Rock’n Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. Emily really enjoyed her treatment at the Bippity Boppity Bootcamp where she received a dream princess makeover (not really). She does make for one hot Jasmine (TMI).

Our child, our rat terrier Chipper, has fully recovered from the severe illness that he had at the end of 2009. He’s always a ball of energy and has brightened our days with his love and affection… he loves to give kisses. He has been well trained (I’ll take all the credit) and will often lay in his bed while we eat dinner. Of course he loves his momma and follow Emily wherever she goes. Often when she’s folding laundry on the bed he’ll burrow into the pile of towels and peer out as only a cute doggy can do. He’s super friendly to visitors and has really only taken a disliking to our neighbor Brian. Bri-yon, as I call him, is a Patriots fan so this is an acceptable and often rewarded behavior.

This past year I took up the bass guitar. I received a sweet bass and an amplifier for my birthday (May 29 btw) and began to teach myself to play (I have a loving and tolerant wife). I can listen to nearly any song and play a basic bass line along with it, usually after just a little trial and error. So far my favorite bands to jam with have been The Avett Brothers, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire and Guster. Of course this has only increased my love for music. A band that I’ve just recently started to listen to that I really enjoy is Mumford & Sons. Stop by for a free show if you’d like.

I must bring this post to an end. I am excited for all that 2011 has to offer and hope that I can write about and relay the details of my many adventures as the year goes on.

- Matt

The Town

2010-07-20T13:27:00.002-04:00

The Town is a movie that comes out Sept. 17. Ben Affleck stars and directs. So, as you can guess, it's about Boston. It's a bank robbery movie. It looks to have a decent cast - Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner. Did I mention it's about Boston? You know, the same city that starred in movies like Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Mystic River, The Boondock Saints, Gone Baby Gone and Fever Pitch.

The Town Trailer

So it looks to be another wicked good movie.

What can I say? I can't stand Boston sports teams, I like Boston movies.

Well, most Boston movies...

This day in history...

2010-03-08T13:49:00.006-05:00

Two years ago we got married in a church, we flew to Mexico for our honeymoon and started our lives together as husband and wife. In the two years since we have left our tiny apartment and have become homeowners. We have added a tiny (but growing) canine companion to our family, our beloved Chipper. I've changed jobs twice

-> The Pourhouse Cafe

-> Employment Plus

-> Cook Medical.

Emily's job has stayed consistent, only she sees more kids between working at both Childs and Summit elementary schools. Our extended family has and continues to increase. We celebrated with Bekah and Errek as their first child, Addyson, was born back in January. Soon we will celebrate with Nate at his wedding to Katie.

Through all the joy and sadness we have been together, growing closer to each other and closer to God. I thank God for my wonderful wife, for her love and support.

Happy Anniversary!

Tron Legacy

2010-01-22T10:42:00.002-05:00

The trailer for this movie is pretty sweet and this poster is kinda cool too. It says the film is in 3D; after seeing Avatar in IMAX 3D really raised my expectations for future 3D films, so we'll have to wait and see if film is up to the challenge.

Auto-tune is sweet!!!

2010-01-04T15:28:00.002-05:00

2009 is coming to a close

2009-12-23T16:05:00.001-05:00

The Pinehurst Paper

It’s just two days before Christmas, which means only a few days left to compose a post on the year that was.
Emily and I rang in 2009 with a pretty awesome gathering of friends. There was dancing, games, music and laughter, and a good time was had by all—some more than others.
At the end of January I was let go from my job, but thankfully began working at a temporary position at Cook Medical just a few days later. The temporary status changed over to full-time in May as I was hired on as the copywriter for Urology—writing the branding and marketing copy for that division.
In March we celebrated our One Year Anniversary with a trip to St. Louis to watch a hockey game.
Besides the big news of a full-time job, May also saw us become homeowners. After a lot of painting and several other interior design changes we were able to move into our three-bedroom home. A few weeks later, for Emily’s birthday, we welcomed Chipper, a rat terrier puppy, into our family.
Emily and Chipper enjoyed a relaxing summer, full of interior decorating and potty training (which are unrelated).
In July we headed to Door County, WI to enjoy a Barrow family vacation—spending time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents on Emily’s mom’s side of the family. We kayaked, mini-golfed, had a sing-along, and enjoyed the sites and scenes of the upper Midwest. The trip was full of happy moments that would quickly became memories as a few weeks following the trip Emily’s grandpa, “Tinker,” went to be with the Lord. While the days and weeks to follow were full of tears, it also gave us the opportunity to look at the legacy that Tinker has left behind—a family that loves each other and loves God.
School started back up and Emily resumed her SLP responsibilities at both Summit and Childs elementary schools. She continues to have large amounts of cases for her workload, but manages her time well and sees a lot of progress in her students. We can hardly venture anywhere in Bloomington without running into one of her kids greeting her with a “Hi Mrs. Crum.”
For the second year in a row we spent Thanksgiving in Baltimore, MD. We drove out and were joined by the rest of the clan, including Peter’s family from Colorado, and Ben’s family and the other brothers from Bloomington. With the addition of aunts, uncles, and cousins, numbers were so big we had to have our feast at the church following the Thanksgiving service. Besides the great food, we enjoyed family games, a concert put on by Ben, Jon and Nate, and some basketball and volleyball. The following day we all went to Washington D.C. for the day.
We are excited to spend our second Christmas together as a family, and our first in our new home. With all the unexpected events from this past year we can only trust that God has great things planned for 2010. We especially look forward to celebrating with Bekah and Errek as Bekah is due to give birth to their first child in the first weeks of the year. We eagerly await baby Addyson.
We are thankful for all of God’s wonderful blessings and continue to serve Him each day, living our lives to bring Him glory.

IRON MAN 2

2009-12-10T16:09:00.002-05:00

More Photoshop Fun

2009-12-10T10:08:00.001-05:00

87 - 8 = GOLD

2009-11-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

You don't have to like hockey to enjoy this.

Invincible

2009-11-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

Playmobile figures in a Muse video... enough said.

WARNING!!! The following is rated 'A' for Awesome

2009-10-19T22:50:00.001-04:00

Goodwill Goodies

2009-10-14T21:00:00.009-04:00

I'll admit, the title of this post may be the ~~gayest~~ cheesiest title to date. But I digress. A few weeks back, brother Ben posted on an assortment of vinyl albums that he had harvested from one of the local Goodwill Stores; diamonds he had found in the rough. I had a similar experience tonight as I browsed the aisles of knick-knacks and came across the section of used CDs.

Here's what I found:

"7" - Prince and The New Power Generation: For some reason this has always been my favorite Prince song. I know Mom, of all his hits, how could I possibly choose a favorite? It's catchy, and it repetitively uses the phrase, "savoir faire." What better way to enjoy this song than to listen to the Album Version, the After 6 Edit, the After 6 Long Version, the Acoustic Version, the Album Edit, and an additional track - 2 Whom It May Concern.

"Four" - Blues Traveler: Definitely my favorite band that features a harmonica. This album includes hits like Run-Around, Hook, and The Mountains Win Again (recently featured in a Busch Beer commercial if I remember correctly). I think Peter purchased this CD when it was first release circa 1994. Nothing brings back memories for me like some good music. Thank you John Popper.

Of course Goodwill doesn't offer the latest Pop hits from the radio, or even must haves like Amy Grant's Heart in Motion, but I did pick-up a few other albums worth noting.

"Love Always" - K-Ci & JoJo: Who doesn't know the opening lines to All My Life? "Baby, baby, baby, baby...." Emily really likes this group, or at least I think she does. She has the "Save The Last Dance" soundtrack and she likes the song by them on that CD, so I bought this for her.

"Into Your Head" - BBMak: They were labeled a boy band by many, but they didn't enjoy the popularity that bands like *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys had (and still do???). The album opens with Out of My Heart, possibly the only song I know on this album. Oh yea, I also bought this one for Emily.

"When In Rome" - When In Rome: For you Napoleon Dynamite fans, you would recognize the opening track off this album, The Promise. Again, the only song I've probably heard off this album, but at those Goodwill prices, it may just be worth listening to.

It's also worth mentioning that the first thing I noticed in the music section (if you can call it a section) was a vinyl copy of the Yentl soundtrack. I did not touch it, thought about it, but realized how ~~gay~~ un-cool I would look if I placed that on the counter to purchase. Did I mention I purchased a BBMak album? Maybe in a few weeks, the store will have re-stocked their shelves and I can again post about ones trash that became my treasure.

Napoleon Dynamite meets Drumline

2009-10-08T16:19:00.000-04:00

MUSE

2009-09-28T22:56:00.003-04:00

I want my MTV!

2009-09-14T09:57:00.001-04:00

As I look back on my freshman year in college, as a skinny and green (not the eco-friendly kind of green, but the immature, just venturing out into the world kind of green) student at Ball State University I remember what dorm life was like and what my major pop-culture influences were at the time. Dawson’s Creek, Jerry Springer, Goldeneye (N64), and MTV.
My freshman year coincided with the premier of the WB show Dawson’s Creek (it WAS that long ago). I settled in each week to follow the escapades of Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen. Springer was at his peak, and many a class was missed in favor of “Redneck Midgets and Their Secret Trans-Gender Love Triangles.” If I wasn’t watching TV, I was testing my newfound Nintendo 64 skills against my floormates at Goldeneye (or Mario Kart). But usually I was watching cable. I didn’t watch much cable growing up; we didn’t have it, so most of my high school and younger TV viewing included network shows like Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, The Cosby Show, and Murder She Wrote. Perhaps the most influential aspect of my freshman year was my connection with the world of MTV. What started as an interest in the music (the Marcy’s Playground song “Sex and Candy” was the anthem of my freshman year) turned into an over-night over-the-top obsession with the network and it’s daily programming. The Real World and Road Rules were my favorites, but if I had some down time, I’d pretty much watch anything on MTV. The Real World was in Boston in 1997 and Road Rules: Islands was on the air. I don’t really recall the specifics of these shows, but I’ve been interested in them ever since, and to this day find myself watching the new cast of characters in what seems to be a competition to one-up the previous season and all season before them. I think we owe it to MTV for creating a new brand of celebrity, the reality star.
Actually, as I think of this gift from MTV I wish I could give it back. It’s hard enough to like celebrities nowadays—Kanye West is another blog post all to himself (which ironically he would prefer anyways), but pseudo-celebrities whose only claim to fame is an appearance on a pseudo-reality show where all the participants do is drink, party, and repeat—the modern day fascination with these people has gone too far. There’s nothing “Real” about their world.
As these shows have changes and the casts have changed, the music has changed too, and is almost lost on a channel that got its start as music television.
The next spawn of MTV to impact me dramatically was TRL (Total Request Live), the afternoon call in show that featured a countdown of the top videos based on the requests of the fans. I was hooked. We met Carson Daly and followed the efforts of those who wanted to be and MTV VJ—what a disaster that was. What TRL also did was signal the countdown to the end of music videos on MTV. In a sort of video overload, non-stop videos from *NSync, Backstreet Boys, Eminem, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Blink 182, Kid Rock, and the list of videos goes on, flooded the MTV airways. From Boy Bands to Pop Princesses, I liked what I heard and saw. But the popularity of MTV would never be the same. It went to their heads that programming was better than the music itself. It was more about the show than the video. And MTV’s less popular twin – VH1, followed in their every footstep. This was of course an unfortunate result of the internet/iPod/cell phone era. As technology has advanced, the format for a television channel that primarily runs music videos has diminished. Want to see the latest Jonas Brothers vid? Download in on iTunes or check it out on the Disney Channel website. For many bands, Myspace and Facebook and fan sites and other websites have been the new launching point for new material… whether song or video.
So where do they go from here? MTV has two choices, either fade into TV-land oblivion, or make another attempt to reinvent itself—with new twists on old programs, new formats, new ‘stars,’ and new generations of fans. I’ll bet on the latter, and, unless someone stops me, I will probably be watching—please, someone stop me, I beg you!!!

NFL Season Starts TONIGHT!!!

2009-09-10T09:21:00.001-04:00

Go Steelers!

Kid goes to dentist

2009-09-04T10:09:00.000-04:00

Bacon is good for me!!

2009-09-04T09:56:00.001-04:00

WOW!!!

2009-08-27T10:32:00.002-04:00

A few Sierra Mist commercials to quench your thirst

2009-07-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

Are you a gamer... and a Beatles fan?

2009-07-17T09:36:00.006-04:00

This had to follow a post about Modern Warfare 2 - easily the most anticipated game of 2009. For me this may be a close second. I'm talking about The Beatles Rock Band.

You can't find these tunes on iTunes or get Beatles albums through BMG or Columbia House, so this is definitely a step in the right direction to bring The Beatles to the masses.
Not a cheap experience however. The Limited edition bundle is priced at $250 and includes:
* The Beatles: Rock Band software
* Höfner Bass controller
* The Beatles branded Rock Band drums
* Microphone and Microphone Stand
* and additional special content
At an additional $100 a pop you can add custom, wireless Beatles guitars to your collection.

Rickenbacker 325

Gretsch Duo-Jet

Hits store shelves - 9.9.2009

Are you a gamer?

2009-07-17T09:02:00.002-04:00

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/modern-warfare-2-prestige-edition-packs-eye-opening-bonus-costs-150/1334432

This looks sweet, maybe a little bit unnecessary, but an interesting way to market a video game none the less.

Name that Hurricane

2009-06-05T08:54:00.002-04:00

You may or may not have ever wondered how a tropical storm (hurricane, cyclone, Willy Willy) gets its name? Well since 1953 an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization maintains and updates the list for storms in the Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, Central North Pacific, Western North Pacific, Australia Region, Fiji Region, Papua New Guinea Region, Philippine Region, Northern Indian Ocean, and Southwest Indiana Ocean. The National Hurricane Center website has the lists for 2009-2014 and it has quite a few notable names to mention.
The Philippine Region has names like Pepeng, Kiko, and Zigzag; Southwest Indiana Ocean names include Xanda, Panda, Kamba, and Alvin. The Atlantic names are the ones we often hear about with past storms, bearing the monikers of Hugo, Ivan, and Katrina, wrecking havoc across the coastal regions of the U.S. Here are some names that may become synonymous with storms in the near future – and a few suggestions.
2009 features the names Grace (an obvious oxymoron), Rose (not so beautiful) and more fittingly, Joaquin – now there’s a name that conjures up disheveled wind-blown images, confusion, and destruction. Peter is also on the list for ’09 - a storm by this name might call you names like 'little girl' and have the power to knock you off you feat, sit on your back, and spit in your hair. 2010 has Bonnie, but no Clyde; a few Disney characters – Fiona, Gaston, and Igor; and one name that would be fitting as a metaphor for my teenage years, Hurricane Matthew. Emily is a name on the list in 2011, as is Nate. William makes an appearance (or Will he) in 2012. Grandchildren everywhere will be terrorized when Hurricane Nana makes landfall in 2014.
I must say it’s a very diverse list, maybe with the obvious exclusion of some popular ethnic names – Hurricane Shanaynay and Tropical Storm DeQuan are not on the list. I do have a few suggestions however that would be more descriptive of the actual event. For the hurricane that goes the other way, Hurricane Lance. If the storm is of a magnitude to make people so sick that they vomit, Hurricane Ralph. If the winds destroy your property and you want to be compensated, Hurricane Sue. Another windy choice would be Hurricane Ilene, or if it’s located off the coast of Japan, Cyclone Irene.
In closing I feel this is an appropriate post to include some good ole Chuck Norris facts.
- “Hurricane Katrina was the result of a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the Gulf of Mexico.”
- “It is a little known fact that Hurricane Katrina happened soon after Chuck Norris’ birthday and the severity of the storm was a direct result of Chuck Norris blowing out his candles.”
- “When anyone else farts in the ocean you might see a few bubbles, when Chuck Norris farts in the ocean he is signaling the start of hurricane season.”
- “If there is ever a Hurricane Chuck Norris, take this to be a sign of the End Times.”

Miss USA... A beauty pageant or popularity contest?

2009-04-21T15:10:00.002-04:00

In this day and age it is the popular opinion to be outspoken for gay-rights and increasingly unpopular to voice your opinion supporting marriage as being between a man and a woman. The debate continues to grow and it boiled over, during the Miss USA pageant of all places, when the contestant from California (ironically a state that voted to ban same-sex marriages) answered a final round question with the answer – “I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.” She was the front-runner late into the pageant but finished as first runner-up, many say because of her response. Celebrity-blogger and openly gay Perez Hilton, who judged the pageant and asked the question, publically noted that her response lost her the competition. I would make the claim the Perez’s closed-mindedness should be the outcry. On his blog after the competition he called her a “bitch.” That sounds more like a personal attack than a comment about a poor answer. Did Perez, by lowering his score for Miss California based on his beliefs and not her answer, discriminate against her? When an action holds another individual back, based solely on their beliefs, I think that falls into the definition of discrimination. Obviously he asked the question as if it were a bomb waiting to explode. Answer Hilton’s way and you have a good chance to win, choose to be politically incorrect and lose. Had she stumbled through an incoherent answer, rambling about education in America, or something totally unrelated to the question, fine, deduct points. But she answered the question, boldly. As a self-proclaimed Christian she would be making a bigger “so-called” mistake to go against her beliefs just to gain the judges favor. In a post-show interview she admitted that of the topics she prepared for the issue of gay marriage was the one she hoped she wouldn’t be asked to address. She knew her opinion would not be popular and she was right. But she stuck to her guns and answered the question with poise and conviction, characteristics I would have thought would be desirable of a Miss USA contestant. It looks like this competition, like so many others, isn’t about the person as much as it is a popularity contest – sound familiar Barack Obama?

Michael Crichton: 1942-2008

2008-11-05T13:30:00.004-05:00

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Crichton, who helped create the TV show "ER" and wrote the best-sellers "Jurassic Park," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere" and "Rising Sun," died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, his public relations firm said in a news release.
He "died unexpectedly," the release said, "after a courageous and private battle against cancer."
He was 66.

Crichton has been my favorite author from the time I read Jurassic Park (after seeing the movie). I have enjoyed many more of his books since then - The Andromeda Strain, Eaters of the Dead, Congo, Sphere, The Lost World, Airframe, Timeline, and Prey.
Much like the younger bros enjoy Harry Potter and Peter enjoys his Tom Clancy, I looked forward to the next Crichton novel, and also like Peter with Clancy, looked forward to the next movie based on a Crichton book.
Jurassic Park was one of my fondest memories from Lancaster, PA... the second and third movies weren't as good. Congo and Sphere were kind of let-downs on screen (Congo was my favorite book) but Timeline (starring the dreamy Paul Walker) was pretty exciting and I vaguely remember enjoying The 13th Warrior - based on Eaters of the Dead (starring Antonio Banderas). Just recently, when I had my wisdom teeth removed, Emily rented The Andromeda Strain TV miniseries that was released this year. It was well produced and I really enjoyed it.
Just thinking of these books and movies has me thinking about starting a Crichton film-fest or book marathon in his memory. It's been long enough since I've read any of these books that I'm sure I would enjoy them a second time. There are still some books of his I haven't read, so this may be a good time to get into those as well.
I am not sure if Crichton was a Christian or not and can only pray that he had a relationship with Jesus Christ that would offer him peace and everlasting joy. While his books are mostly based on the realm of science and discovery, there is only one eternal truth to be found... I hope he did.

Election Reflection 2008

2008-11-05T12:13:00.002-05:00

I'm Matthew Crum and I approved this blog.

I invested more interest in this years’ election than in any previous ones, not because I cared so deeply about getting a candidate elected (I voted for one so that the other wouldn’t get elected), but because I always like to remember where I was when history was made. Sure, the obvious history is the election of the first African American as President… and Oprah and Jesse Jackson and every black person the news media could throw in front of a camera was crying, and dancing in the streets, and lifting both hands to the heavens as if an awaited Messiah had just been elected. Does it matter that he’s only half black and was raised by his white mother, apparently not.
I’ve seen polar bears that are blacker than Obama. If you turn off the lights you can still see him (even when he’s not smiling). If you put Obama, Ruben Studdard, Reggie Miller, and Eminem in a lineup and said, “Point to the black man,” they would point to Eminem. I’m making jokes about the situation, because I guess I fail to see the true significance. So what if he’s black. Black men have been in politics for a while – Thurgood Marshall comes to mind, and in other prominent positions of our culture as well – just look at the most popular athletes – Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, O.J. Simpson, Barry Bonds, and that one guy in NASCAR.
Is it historical because of his race, yes, is that what will make him a good president, I doubt it. Not only does he now have the pressure of being the President of the greatest country in the world on his shoulders, but he must also carry the burden of an entire race. No one ever says, “Man, that Lincoln was the greatest white president,” or “JFK was one bad-ass honky.” But for some reason Obama, and his new title as Leader of the Free World, will also carry the label of black president with it.
In a few months Obama will be sworn in, similar images of African Americans crying tears of joy will flood the airwaves and internet, but hopefully the fact that Obama is black will quickly become history and the endeavors and accomplishments of Obama as President will be the focus.
Thank God the political ads have gone away. Now I can watch TV without being bombarded by democrat this, republican that. No more Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin (until 2012 at least). Hopefully Obama t-shirts will be a fad that passes and people will realize that he’s the President, not some Hollywood movie-star, Rolling Stone rock-god, or All-Star athlete. In a few weeks (hopefully days) people’s Facebook status updates will not be politically driven, and eventually this country can hopefully get back to normal. Until Ellen announces her future candidacy… killing three birds with one stone – what’s the new black? A woman celebrity… who is also a lesbian.

Making the Band

2008-09-26T10:15:00.002-04:00

For those of you out there who still are wondering what to get Emily and me for a wedding gift (we got married in March you know) here's a great idea.... That opening sentence (and this one for that matter) was a creative way for me to allude to the fact that I want a bass guitar so I can be in a band.
Here is how I have come to this decision.
A) I love music.
B) I would like to make music.
C) I see this as a way to bond with my brothers.
My brothers your say?!?
That's my idea for the band... a band of brothers so to speak.
While only a few of them may even know about my idea, I thought my blog would be a good place to share it with everyone else (assuming anyone reads this).
I don't want to be exclusive, even amongst my family members, but here is my idea for the band - Ben, Jon, Nate, and myself. Of course the other brothers (and sister) could take on roles similar to those from the movie School of Rock; band manager, wardrobe, lighting and effects, promotion, etc.
Ben - he is already in a band, plays multiple instruments, and is familiar with production techniques. He would be our lead guitar and vocals.
Jon - the most talented of the bros on the keys, also vocals.
Nate - he mentioned that he wants to get some drums and so he'd be our Tommy Lee (or Phil Collins). I'd like to do four part harmonies, but have never really heard Nate sing... so vocals is a possibility here, pending a try-out.
Before I address my role in the band - bassist and vocals - I would like to speak to the lingering question you may have. Why the bass? For some reason when I listen to music the bass always seems to stand out among the other instruments. Some bands that I really enjoy like CCR, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and 311 have very distinct bass-lines throughout most of their music. I have also heard that it would be fairly simple to become a beginner bassist. Of course working up to Flea-status would take a lifetime to achieve, but I'm not aiming that high.
So there I am, playing the bass and providing vocals.
We could use another guitarist, but for the time being (until another brother learns guitar) Jon's keyboard can take the place of a guitar.
So what kind of music will we play? I'd like to think that with a little time and effort we'd be able to write our own music. I'd think progressive-rock would be our best genre to join, but with some of our tastes reaching to many other genres, I can't be sure just yet.
I will say I could see us sounding like a Coldplay or The Beatles, or even a band that Ben has turned me on to, Band of Horses. Whatever the sound, whatever the music, I'd be happy just to be playing a bass with my brothers. Heck, we could be a cover-band for all I care. Just jamming to some of our favorite hits.
I'd like to hear your feedback on this. Leave a comment here (or if you know me you can contact me by some other means) if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or heaven forbid any criticism.

New Look

2008-09-25T08:32:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd change things up a bit here... new picture, colors, styles. I will admit Blogger is a little behind the times when it comes to its templates. There isn't that great a variety, and there are many aspects that are untouchable without an advanced knowledge of HTML language. Anyways, I am glad you are here. Take a look back at some historic Deep Thoughts - I did the other day and didn't realize what all I had blogged about and the number of posts I've written over the weeks, months, and years.

My memory

2008-09-15T13:40:00.002-04:00

When I think about what I think about I can't help but think that I don't know why I have some of my thoughts. And yet some of the thoughts I thought I had I think I must have either thought up or I am mistaken in my thinking. That being said, I would like to watch a movie about my family. If I were the director I would montage through my parents childhoods, slow things down for Pop in Vietnam, their meeting in college and their first child, Peter, being born in Pennsylvania. This is where the story would begin. But would the real life experiences be good enough for a full-length movie, or would I have to "hollywood" this film. I think, at least I think I think, that our real adventures would make a great movie.
Here are some of the action scenes.
Camp Pendleton: Picture the Indiana Jones snake scene with the young Crum boys, basking on the beach, going on secret Marine missions (in full camo), playing with G.I. Joes, riding Knight Rider tricycles...
Mare Island: The Beach Boys song "Kokomo" takes you on a bicycle ride of the island, with Marine check-points (in full camo), first crushes, swimming lessons, picking flowers while playing soccer, and David Robinson playing basketball for the Navy. Have vacation flashbacks to Disneyland and Sea World, The Somoa Cookhouse, the Redwood Forest, and the Rogue River.
U.S.S. Carl Vinson: A side-story to Mare Island, revisit Peter's epic Tiger Cruise (revised as Cooking Julia's Tiger Cruise). Live through the San Francisco earthquake, and view an IMAX trip down the Point Reyes lighthouse shoreline. Guest appearances by John House, B.J. Kerley, and the Thompson girls.
St. Louis: Now living the civilian life, the Crum's move to the Midwest to conquer the mighty Mississippi. Hang on for dear life as Aunt Margaret backs out of her driveway. Experience snow, and backyard ice-hockey. Get in touch with the botanist inside you at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Go behind the scenes during the making of The Teenage Mutilated Injured Gerbils, with an exclusive "Where Are They Know?" interview with Shredded Wheat (interviewed by Sister Rogers). Catch a game of Seminary Baseball.
Lancaster, PA: It's Oregon Trail in reverse as the Crum's move further east to take over Amish Country (Weird Al's "Amish Paradise"). Public school, Matt on rollerblades, cow-patties, Firehouse church services, and a Crum reinactment at Gettysburg. It's a smell-o-vision experience you won't soon forget... witnessing an eye-witness account of the great chicken massacre. Guest appearance by Mr. Mumma (as General Lee).
Bloomington, IN: Forrest Crum, Pulpit Fiction, the last child is born, Matt and Ben as Peter's chaperone, late night toilet papering, Caleb's last days. The cross-roads of America sees the Crum's begin to disperse. Peter to Colorado (the mountain man gets married), the family leaves Matt, Ben, and Jon behind for Florida.
An open-ended closing sequence suggests that the family will soon be reunited again. The brothers moving back to Bloomington, followed by the rest of the family with a look to the future. A Crum wins an Oscar, a Crum wins the Heisman, a Crum wins "Survivor: Compton," a Crum is elected President.
So this was fun. Lot's of memories resurfaced that hadn't been thought of for some time. I think I need to do this more often. While putting this onto film might be a bit of a stretch, it would be nice to see all the old home movies we made, the videos we sent Pop and Peter's classics. While it may be some time before we're all together again, it is nice to sit and think of each of my family members and get lost in my thoughts, if just for a minute, and be back there again.

More art!!

2008-09-05T15:55:00.002-04:00

A couple more to choose from...

New album... myTunes 2.0... Coming Soon!!!

2008-08-28T16:08:00.003-04:00

myTunes 2.0 will be arriving in a mailbox near year (if you are a family-member of mine). I have yet to choose the album art for the CD cover, but created some designs on Paint that I like and might eventually use.

New J-O-B

2008-05-27T22:09:00.002-04:00

Well, I got married back in March, I finally graduated at the beginning of May, and now, on June 3, I will be starting a new - full-time w/ benefits, salary, paid vacation, 401K, discount Sam's Club Membership - job!! I will be working for Employment Plus as the Executive Assistant to the President.... EP is a fast growing company, located here in Bloomington (just across the highway from where we live), and in other cities across the Midwest. They place people looking for jobs in companies that have out-sourced their hiring department. I think they also do job training and temporary placement, among other things, for their clients. From what I've gathered so far about the job, I will be working closely with the president, keeping him up-to-date on the regional locations, their progress, and doing a lot of work to make things consistent from one locale to another. I'm excited to start and will hopefully find my place quickly and adjust to my surroundings quickly as well. I think the job will be fast-paced and demanding, but in the areas where I can excel - communication, and all the organizational skills that come with my mild case of OCD. Perhaps what I am most excited about is the fact that my good friend Andrew Clampitt works for another company owned by EP and his office is in the same building. I've already had some good interaction with him and some of the other staff and look forward to starting on Tuesday (of course I need to mention that I have a wisdom tooth exam on Monday and that could be bad news - I know I need one tooth extracted, but more could mean costly surgery). As I settle into a new job and new routine, I hope to post on all the new happenings in my and my wife's lives (Emily is looking forward to summer break - and all the time she will have to get things more organized at home and de-stress from the school year.) Stay tuned!!
P.S. Look for some pics soon from our upcoming vacation to Gulf Shores, AL - June 14-21.

YouTube find of the week!!

2008-05-21T19:58:00.002-04:00

So basically the world wide web - thanks to blogging, personal websites, and mostly YouTube - has become every human's own personal stage. Whether it's fat kids singing European pop hits, fat kids pretending to be ninjas, or the latest Crum brother short-film, YouTube is where you can find the best and the worst of the internet videos. This woman has chosen to take pop music hits and play them classically on the piano... magic!!

"Hey There Delilah" The Plain White T's

"Big Girls Don't Cry" Fergie

I wish I could be Tim

2008-05-16T21:46:00.002-04:00

So I've always enjoyed the beats of rap music more than the rapping itself (with a few expections). This has caused me to respects artists of beat-making like Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, and of course Timbaland. Tim has been writing beats for a while now, but has enjoyed immense popularity in the last few years, making beats for many artists covering many genres. This video was from the Diary of Timbaland from MTV from a few years back. I love how Busta Rhymes starts off by making fun of Tim, but by the end he has realized just how good Tim and his skillz can kill.

**Caution - MTV does not censor certain words!!**

It has been a while

2008-04-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

Wow, I'm looking on my blog and realizing that it has been way too long since my last post (I have posted recently on the family blog but not here). I guess a lot has happened since then. Let's see... I got married (March 8), started a new job, moved into a new apartment, just a few little things. While I often enjoyed my life as a lone wolf, I must say that marriage is way better. Sure I can't always take midnight trips to Wal-Mart or go see Star Wars movies by myself on my birthday, but now my feet are never cold in bed, my house always smells like clean laundry (that's the scent of our air freshener), and I don't play my music too loudly. Speaking of music, I just downloaded the newest single by Coldplay, "Violet Hill," off their website... it's free this week only... and it is pretty sweet. I can't wait until 6/17 when that album comes out. It just so happens that the same day Weezer's Red Album will be released, doubly good!! What makes that week even that much better is the thought that I will be on vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama with my wife and 10 of our friends. We're renting a house on the Gulf for a week and will be soaking up the 'Bama sun and playing a lot of golf (on the Gulf). Speaking of golf, I've continued my curiosity with the game as the days have gotten sunnier and warmer here. While I haven't got much better I am showing some signs of improvement. Well, as I look over at my wife putting away the dinner and cleaning the kitchen I think I must be going. Until next time I must be off... like a bra at a feminist rally!!

Click This

2007-12-13T12:20:00.000-05:00

Coming Soon!!!

I Am Tiger Woods...well, not really!!!

2007-11-19T02:15:00.000-05:00

I have often heard a quote by the famous American writer Mark Twain, in which he comments on the sport of golf by saying, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” I understand the premise of this comment and its context along with a multitude of other sayings about the sport, but over the past six or seven months I have failed to agree.
In my first 27 years I made only a few attempts at the sport of golf, maybe golfing two or three times. When I was much younger, eight or nine, I even took a few lessons, of which I remember nothing. I enjoyed watching the final rounds of tournaments on Sunday afternoons with my dad and have followed the careers of the professional golfers, but up until this past May I haven’t really tried to be Tiger Woods. For my friend’s bachelor party a large group of guys and I played 18 holes at the Indiana University course. I had purchased a used set of clubs from a garage sale, possibly older than myself, and with little experience began a summer long love affair with the sport. That used set was well worth the money. At first what drew me to the course was a desire to interact and share in the experience with my friends. They all enjoyed golfing, so I wanted to as well. Since that day in May there hasn’t been a beautiful sunny day that I haven’t thought about going golfing. This blossoming love was expanded even more when, for my 28th birthday, I was given more golf lessons. Whether on the course or during my lessons I have continually been eager to improve my game, not to compete with the pros, but to compete with my friends, to not only enjoy their company but to enjoy the competition.
Maybe my experience hasn’t been spoiled because of the early stages of my passion. I haven’t quite gotten to the stage where improvement will be more difficult, and frustration will be soon to follow. Maybe the fact that I ride in a golf cart instead of walking the course has kept me from feelings of disgust. Or maybe a man like Mark Twain didn’t have the patience to pursue something that could take years to hone, or that might never bring true satisfaction at all. I don’t know if I possess that resolve, that mental strength, but I am willing to find out. As the days have grown colder and the winter chill and breeze has forced me to place my clubs into hibernation, I eagerly look forward to the first days of Spring, when I will once again rekindle this love, venture out onto the course, and swing away.

Halloween Humor

2007-10-30T02:13:00.000-04:00

So I know as a family we don't celebrate this day as a holiday, I still get dressed up though, but don't go trick or treating. I overheard some friends of mine telling some Halloween jokes tonight and thought I'd tell one of my own creation.
"Why couldn't the disemboweled zombie kill on Halloween?"
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... "He didn't have the guts!!!"

myTunes 1.0

2007-10-26T12:59:00.000-04:00

Recently I made and mailed (or hand delivered) a CD to the older brothers (Peter, Ben, Jon, Nate, and Thomas), a CD that I think captures the realm of music that I have been living in over the past year. I don’t know why I used the title ‘myTunes’ except that everything seems to be feeding of the iTunes and iPod name, so I thought “what the het” I’ll do the same thing. I think this title does play into the track list a bit as a decent amount of these songs were first heard on iTunes and don’t come from mainstream artists. I’ve tried to give a reason why I chose each song, why I like it, what kind of mood it may put me in, etc…. If you’ve listened to the CD (or just know the songs) feel free to respond with your opinions.

Collapse/Typical/After We Have Left Our Homes – Mute Math – Sorry Ben and Peter but this three song set was left off the first burning. This is the same way the Mute Math album starts and I think it’s really full of energy, a great way to get started if you ask me. I don’t know too much about this band, although I think they are a Christian group. Basically when I listen to this song I want to climb on top of something and when the drums kick in, do a flying leap in the air playing a wailing air-guitar riff.

Phantom Limb – The Shins – Hopefully by now many of you know how much I love this band. I got into them after hearing “New Slang” on the Garden State Soundtrack and haven’t quit listening to them. This song is off their latest album “Phantom Limb” and is real catchy.

Missed the Boat – Modest Mouse – I know this song isn’t new to Nate as he’s kind of the reason I listen to Modest Mouse, it’s also of their newest album, one of my favorite tracks. This song is equally catchy and has some great lyrics (and, admittedly some not so great). One of my favorite lines is… “Our ideas held no water, but we used them like a damn.” The first time I listened to this song, I had to listen to it again, I found myself singing the chorus over and over.

Come Alive – Foo Fighters – Since their formation, soon after Dave Grohl’s departure from Nirvana, I’ve been listening to the Foo. This track is off their new album (a continuing trend). I love how it starts slow, almost classical, but jumps into the rockin’ out Foo Fighters I’m used to. I actually had to choose between this song and another one from the new album and ended up with this one because it had lyrics. The other song, “The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners,” is an acoustic/classical guitar track and showcases the guitar skills that Grohl and his boys possess.

Well Thought Out Twinkles – Silversun Pickups – One iTunes habit I’ve developed is to browse the list of popular albums (based on iTunes sales I imagine). I came across the Pickups while doing this. At first I thought the lead singer was Billy Corgan, but than realized that this band only sounded like the Smashing Pumpkins, a nice comparison if you ask me. I also thought this song was titled “Well Thought Out Twinkies” at first, don’t know why that’s interesting but thought it was funny.

Muscle Museum – Muse – It’s no secret how much I enjoy Muse. As I’ve come across each of their albums I’ve done nothing but listen to each one over and over. Starting with Absolution (their first US release), moving to Origin of Symmetry (UK), Black Holes and Revelations (2nd US), Hullabaloo Soundtrack (UK), and the album that holds this track, Showbiz (UK). I couldn’t find this album on iTunes or in any store so I had to order it from Amazon. This track is song two and it became and instant favorite the first time I listened to it. It has the Muse electronic feel to it, lyrics you can’t discern, and an intro that few songs can compare to.

They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh! – Sufjan Stevens – Peter and Ben’s version include this song instead of the Muse track, not because I think one is more mature than the other, I just thought (upon a second listen) that Muse sounded better here. I do enjoy this track a lot, and keep waiting for Stevens to release another album. This is from his album “Illinois” and he has promised to do an album for each state, so he’d better get crackin’. I like how his titles are long and interesting to say the least. A song about zombies, it must be good!!

Calling the World – Rooney – This was definitely an odd choice to follow Muse now that I think about it. From Brit-Rock to LA-Pop, Rooney is a newer sounding Weezer. Their songs are very catchy, while somewhat juvenile in content, which makes them easy to listen to again and again.

Never Here Alone – Collective Soul – Again a new song from a new album, I like the way this song takes a different direction at times. I also just love the guitar riffs that remind me of the first albums that Collective Soul made. As with the Foo Fighters I’ve never missed out on a chance to hear new music from this band and had to include a great new song by them.

Lately – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Maybe the Chili Peppers have sold out, but that’s fine by me. This song was an unreleased track from the latest double disc “Stadium Arcadium” released with the single “Dani California” on a bonus iTunes EP. I think this track, and several others from other EPs, could have easily made the cut for the main album, or maybe even a third disc. This song, and many others by RHCP, are powered by the genius of Flea on bass, and have made me contemplate learning to play the bass guitar.

Lightning Rod – Guster – Ben got me listening to Guster, a nice gesture if you ask me. They don’t just make good songs, they make complete albums. This track is off, you guessed it, their latest album, “Ganging Up On the Sun.” I like how the instruments play softly throughout in the background and allow the vocals to become an instrument as well.

True Love Will Never Fade – Mark Knopfler – This singer, songwriter is more famous for his work in the band Dire Straights (and also for his song during the closing credits of The Princess Bride), but his new solo album could easily be considered some of his best music, in my opinion. This track opens the album “Kill to Get Crimson” and sets the tone for an album full of tracks, all worth a listen. The Dire Straights sound is their, the storytelling too, maybe my favorite song on this album, and favorite album in the past couple years.

The Heart of Life – John Mayer – My first impressions of John were dead wrong, I thought he was simply a guy trying to sing love songs so girls would go crazy over him. Than after completely listening to “Continuum,” his latest album, I realized how talented he is. His vocals are consistent and very blues which complement his talent on the guitar, one of the better guitar players I’ve ever heard. This song, and the album for that matter, is great to listen to at night when I want to relax.

Down Under – Colin Hay – Hay is another 80s band (Men at Work) gone solo, and he takes his songs with him. A guy who I used to work with at Macri’s played this for me one time and I think I like it better than the original version. I really like the random instruments that he uses, especially the flute.

Prison on Route 41 – Calexico & Iron & Wine – I think I got this from another recommendation from Ben. I’d been listening to Iron & Wine for a while and got this from an EP on iTunes. Very acoustic and even a little bluegrass at times. The steel guitar and vocals go so well together.

Colorful – Rocco DeLuca & The Burden – I first heard Rocco while watching a music special on VH1. His music is supported by Jack Bauer (I mean Kiefer Sutherland) and I really like what I heard so I quickly downloaded what I could from iTunes. I like how loose his guitar strings sound, it really makes a difference. His voice his also very unique which gives a blues feel to each track.

Mosquito Song – Queens of the Stone Age – I chose this song to close the album because of how well it closes the Queens own album “Songs For The Deaf.” It’s slow, acoustic, and very dramatic. It is like the curtain closes but so much is left to tell. I also picked up on how they try to make their instruments sound like a mosquito buzzing, very eerie but cool to say the least.

So there you have it, something to chew on as you listen. I’ve already critiqued this album so much that version 2.0 is in the works. One song that I wish I could go back and include would be “Silver Lining” by Rilo Kiley, if you’re interested, check it out and tell me what you think.

N vwls and o ooa

2007-10-08T14:44:00.000-04:00

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Funny video and new music, not from the same source!!

2007-09-18T15:12:00.000-04:00

We watched this in my English class today, for no reason other than the fact that YouTube is becoming an American phenomenon. Let's just say the whole class was in tears.
On a new music note, Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits) has released another solo album, Kill to Get Crimson, after a first listen I really liked what I heard from start to finish. I don't do stars of thumbs or yee-haws or anything for albums, but this one is definitly worth a listen.

Ripped from the headlines!!!

2007-09-03T02:03:00.000-04:00

For those of you reading this blog with no access to the local paper here in B-town here is an interesting news story and the subsequent letter to the editor which I submitted (this is also an easy way to keep up with the posting).

From the Bloomington Herald-Times - Aug. 22, 2007....

Couple suing county over slip, fall at Karst park
Hamilton County couple say wife fractured her leg on wet turf
By James Boyd
Two Hamilton County residents are suing Monroe County following an accident at Karst Farm Park.
Ming Peng and Jianping Huang filed the suit Monday in Monroe Circuit Court. They name the county commissioners and the county’s parks and recreation department as co-defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Peng and Huang were at Karst Farm Park for their daughter’s soccer game as part of the Cutters Jamboree Soccer Tournament on Sept. 3, 2006.
Peng was walking toward the soccer field where her daughter was going to play when “her right leg suddenly slipped on wet turf and she fell hard to the ground.” In the lawsuit, Peng’s attorney said Peng suffered a fractured leg as a result of the fall.
The suit accuses the county of failing to keep the park grounds in a “reasonably safe condition” or to warn her of the slick grounds.
“At the time of this incident, the defendants knew or in the exercise of reasonable care would have discovered the slick, wet turf on their property and should have realized that it involved an unreasonable risk of harm to invitees,” the suit claims.
According to the lawsuit, the weather at the time of Peng’s fall was dry and sunny.
As a result of her injuries, Peng has incurred medical and other costs, lost wages, and “pain and loss of enjoyment of life from her personal injuries.”
Huang, meanwhile, claims that due to his wife’s injuries, he has “suffered the loss of consortium.”
Peng and Huang are seeking unspecified damages for their claim.
The county generally doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits.

...my letter to the editor - Sept. 1, 2007....

Claims ‘outrageous’
To the editor:
Was it the hot coffee case against McDonald’s that got the ball rolling for frivolous lawsuits? After reading the article “Couple suing county over slip, fall at Karst park” (Aug. 22), I could only shudder at the continuing trend of lawsuits that make outrageous claims. I am not disputing the fact that Ms. Peng should be upset, but upset because there was a lack of a wet grass warning by the park? What would that park sign look like?
“CAUTION!!! In The Event of - a.) Rain b.) We Just Watered the Grass (are the sprinklers dripping???) c.) A Global Flood - Ground May Be Slippery. And the husband’s claim, “loss of consortium.” Mr. Huang is claiming that the injury to his wife has deprived him of sex. How often can that claim be made? We could see future suits against record companies because their loud music gave the wife her headache and therefore “loss of consortium.” The spicy food at the Mexican restaurant gave the husband gas, “loss of consortium.”
Maybe we can get the environmentalists to counter-sue, claiming that Ms. Peng’s fall was fatal to thousands of blades of grass? In this day and age, I wouldn’t be surprised.
- Matt Crum, Bloomington

She said "YES!!!"

2007-06-09T18:05:00.001-04:00

This being my blog, I shall simply say that my girlfriend (of nearly five years) as of June 6, 2007 is now my fiance. If you would like further details, like what exotic location I chose to propose to her at or the names of famous celebrities that will be attending the wedding, Emily's phone number is 555-5653. No date has been chosen yet for the nuptials, information will be made available as it released. To send your congratulations - send all cash, checks, or major credit cards to:
Matthew Crum
2208 Covenanter Dr.
Bloomington, IN 47401

YouTube Video

2007-06-03T01:43:00.000-04:00

This reminds me of Crum Family pickup games!!!

28 Years Later

2007-05-30T22:50:00.000-04:00

Rather than blog about topics that Mom would call "not of general interest," i.e. sports, I shall briefly describe the events that took place and made for quite an enjoyable 28th birthday (it was May 29th for those of you not keeping track). Let me start off by saying thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday...I was bombarded by phone calls, text messages, and even a number of facebook wall posts and was especially delighted by not one but two renditions of "Happy Birthday" by the family in Maryland.
After a nice four day Memorial Day weekend my summer class resumed birthday morning, but I quickly started enjoying the day by going with Emily to Noodles & Co. with Bekah and Errek. This is a new eatery located on Kirkwood in the old VonLee location. The food is very good and the atmosphere is nice as well. Emily and I then made the short trip out to Ben and Michal's to see, and hold, their day old son, Daniel Peregrine. He was testing out his new lungs and being quite a "Pip" squeak if you catch my drift.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for my birthday dinner. Emily had volunteered to cook a feast and dessert so we got the necessary ingredients and both prepared a meal for the ages. The menu consisted of refried beans (sorry Mom, from a can), chocolate covered strawberries, wild rice, chips and salsa, and the main course - grilled chicken fajitas. For dessert Emily baked one of my all-time favorites, German Chocolate Cake!!! Dinner, needless to say, was great, I opened my cards and gifts, and finished the night by relaxing in the Ellsworth's basement.
While this summer is my first taking summer classes and not planning any big vacations, I am looking forward to several weddings (most notably Bekah and Errek's) and also spending time with the family as they visit Bloomington. As I find the time, I hope to keep an updated blog to record the summer happenings in my life.

Sixty Feet Six Inches

2007-04-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

As I often times do while watching sports on TV, this time a baseball game between the Yankees and Red Sox, my love of sports knowledge led me to quickly wonder on the varying dimensions and measurements that we so commonly associate with a sport. My thoughts were quickly jumping from sport to sport, asking the questions that are seemingly unanswerable. Why is the pitcher’s mound sixty feet, six inches away from home plate? Why is a football field 100 yards long? Why is a basketball rim 10 feet above the floor? Now some of you readers out there (if there are any) may say “Who cares?” But I want to look past the sports aspect and examine the way I in which these measurements almost seem to be the perfect dimension for their game.
What I’m not going to do is investigate the actual reasons. I am sure someone somewhere came up with each measurement and had a reason behind each inch. What I want to do is look at how the measurements listed above fit perfectly into the game that is being played.
Perhaps the oddest measurement I mentioned is the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate. Sixty feet, six inches. Why not just sixty feet? Somehow in that six inches we get to see pitchers reach speeds of over 100 mph; batters have a fraction of a second more to decide whether to swing or not; and when a bunt is laid down, it’s the perfect distance to make the play at first-base close – batter running, pitcher or catcher fielding. This must be where the expression “game of inches” came from. A second baseball dimension that began this whole train of thought was the 90 feet from base-to-base. When a runner is stealing second and the catcher is attempting to throw him out, these 90 feet also seem to be just the right amount to cause a viewer to raise from his/her seat to see the close play. Were it to be 85 feet, easy stolen base, 95, and the runner is out.

At 100 yards long, a football field is not always easy to transverse when 11 big guys are head-hunting with tearing ball from body on their minds. While sprinters cover this distance in mere seconds, the game of football can be an all out battle to cover this distance. Professional quarterback arms cannot throw the ball this distance. In fact it often takes deception, misdirection, and speed to go the distance. The broadcasting of Arena Football makes it obvious why the NFL is the superior league. In the Arena league, with a field half the size, players are constantly scoring, scores mirror those of basketball games, and defense plays second fiddle. In the NFL, the 100 yards has created a dimension where a good defense matched against a good offense makes this 100 yards of turf seem like a battlefield, where pushing and shoving, make common men warriors. Beside bigger is always better. A 100 yard touchdown return sounds twice as sweet as a 50 yard one.
The dimension I have had the most experience with is the height of basketball’s goal – 10 feet. From as far back as I can remember I recall leaping at anything within reach. Mostly it was doing a reverse jam on the tops of all doors that I would walk under. Then, as I hit a growth spurt around age 15, my sights were set on the 10 feet of metal that was attached to any backboard. After countless attempts I finally touched my first rim, and I knew as soon as I did that I could jump 10 feet. Sometimes this measurement seems as if it may have been outgrown by the athletes that play the game of basketball today. While the YMCA All-Stars still find this height a challenge, players like LeBron James and Dwight Howard, flush dunks with flair and ease – not just jumping and dunking, but jumping, spinning 360 degrees, putting the ball between their legs, switching hands, and than dunking. Of course when you watch Hoosiers, you see the game of basketball in its early stages – before three pointers and highlight reel dunks. When Ollie measures the goal at Hinkle Field House, the goal is to their expectation, 10 feet from the floor.
Perhaps some day, if materials allow players to run even quicker, jump even higher, and throw even faster these dimensions will have to be modified. Or maybe, these dimensions will stand the test of time, and remain just as much a challenge today as they did the when their sport was created. Maybe in sports, these dimensions of perfection are what make the games so special and so interesting to watch - men hitting moon shots, throwing deep bombs, and dunking from the free-throw line.

Art of a Charge

2007-02-28T17:36:00.000-05:00

Music Reviews

2007-02-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

Before getting to the meat of this blog I have a weird side-story to convey. I was listening to Enya on my iPod as I lay in bed last night, the music had stopped playing when suddenly the power in my neighborhood went out. The street lights, everything. It was almost pitch black except for some star and moonlight breaking through the cloud cover. The alarm for my house sounded and the ladies whose house it is called my cell to see what was going on. I told them the power was out and they told me to stay put because they had called the police. I saw two cop cars approach with there lights off, suspecting a break-in. They were outside for several minutes and then left. An hour or so later, around 4:30am, the power was back and I went to sleep. Then around 6 am I was awakened to someone loudly knocking on my door. I answered the door to greet two policemen. They had come back, no one had answered the front door, they had found a downstairs door unlocked, entered the house, and with both ladies sound asleep, made their way to my door. Needless to say I was a little frightened. They asked me several questions - "How many cars are in the garage?" "What was the address?" - to determine, I assume, that I was who I said I was. The irony of the entire night was that I had gone to bed relatively early by my standards with the expectations of getting a good sleep before getting up for my 9:30am class. Instead I spent the night getting very little sleep and nearly over-slept my alarm and the class.
What this all brings me to is a string of thought I had while the power was out, but the power on my iPod still worked. I had already listened to Enya's album "A Day Without Rain" and now was sitting in my candle-lit bedroom browsing my Pearl Jam collection. Reflecting on my love for music of all genres I wondered why so often I read music reviews that are way too in depth. Why must they convey complex feelings and emotions. Often times it seems the simplest of songs are critiqued to the extreme. In my blog I often attempt to write about an album or group that I am particularly enjoying. Having no musical training in instrument (with the exception of long ago piano lessons) or lyrics or melody I try to simply explain why I like the music. But as I read over my review I find it is too simple. My descriptions could apply to a number of singers or songs. And this is why, I concluded early this morning, most reviews are wordy and require a Harvard education to understand. For each artist to truly be an individual they must craft something that is unique. A true review notices the artist's uniqueness and brings this to light for the reader.
So what about Pearl Jam? Well, it had been a while since I had listened to any track other than "Daughter." I had heard (and sung at the top of my lungs) "Betterman" on the radio the other day and decided to explore it's album Vitalogy which then led to No Code, the newest self-titled album, then Riot Act, and finally Ten (I listen to Yield and Vs more than any other album so I didn't listen to them). I was beginning to gain a new appreciation for the continuing strength of PJ's music. I had listened to Riot Act on several occasions, but laying in bed with my headphones on, and all power in the neighborhood depleted, I felt like I was listening to it for the first time. No song on this album has ever received the recognition that the afore mentioned "Daughter" or "Black," "Jeremy," or "Betterman" has garnered, but it still pulled at me. The guitar work is on par with their more notable albums and there are several tracks that quickly became memorable - "Bushleager" was a great listen. Maybe what I learned the most from this experience was to go back and listen. Sometimes it takes two or three or more listens to find the appreciation that an artist like Pearl Jam deserves.
On a closing side note, I watched The Prestige the other night and really enjoyed Thom Yorke's song during the closing credits. Maybe this will lead to a rediscovery or his band's music...Radiohead.

A few of my favorite things

2007-02-16T01:18:00.000-05:00

While I don't find myself enjoying the same items as Fraulein Maria it is often true for me that thinking of my favorite things puts me in a good mood. Many of these things have some memory associated with them, memories I'd like to share for a bit.

With an ever growing love of music (you could say sounds of music) nothing catches my ear like a tune from years ago. One such favorite I have is "Africa" by Toto. Everytime I hear this song I remember the first time I heard it, over 17 years ago when Pop was overseas and would send us tapes. I don't recall the tapes too much except that he'd read to us and sing us songs and play some songs that he liked. It was his way of being with us even when he was thousands of miles away. Growing up with such a diverse record collection has definitely influenced my musical likes to this day. From singing The Beatles, The Beach Boys, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, and Peter's all-time favorite, Barbara Streisand - to break-dancing to Michael Jackson. Singers and bands continue to enter my list of favorites - Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Shins, Muse, Coldplay. When I listen to their songs, different thoughts and moments in time are instantly recalled as if they just happened and they become my favorite all over again. I can't explain why this happens, and maybe it only happens to me, but I'll find myself listening to a song I haven't heard in a long time and shaking my head and thinking how amazing that song really is. I might replay it a few times, listen to it again and again over a few days span, and really get to know it again. This, I think, is what helps define some of my favorite songs. "Going to California," "Norwegian Wood," and "Fix You" are three of my most favorite songs ever that by listening to them I can forget the snow and ice outside, put off cleaning my apartment, close my eyes and go to a place of warm and happy thoughts.

Movies also have this nostalgic affect on me. Over Christmas break I found a family favorite in Best Buy available on DVD..."Nate and Hayes." While this movie was never nominated for awards and is probably unknown by most people, it floods my mind with childhood memories. I remember seeing "Hoosiers" in the theatre on Mare Island, watching "Top Gun" on the USS Carl Vinson in the officer's dining room, pretending to ride futuristic motorcycles from "Tron" on the swings on family camping trips to the Rogue River, Peter wearing sunglasses during the kissing scenes at the "Snowy River" movies, and singing all the songs to "The Pirates of Penzance," especially the Elvis part. Don't even get me started on the other numerous musicals I was forced to watch, some were good and are enjoyable ("Fiddler on the Roof," "Oklahoma," The Sound of Music") to this day, but other's just need to be erased from my memory (the fact that I can't think of the bad ones is a good thing right now). These movies for some reason, even amidst their insignificance by Hollywood's standards, hold a higher place than "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Departed" ever could. I like those movies as well, they just don't have that thing that will stick with me and stick out years from now.

So what else did I enjoy so much that a simple thought sparks so many memories. Well, G.I. Joes were my favorite toys for years (Peter still plays with his to this day). Digging trenches on the edge of the canyon in our backyard in So Cal and then flooding them was fun and putting the head of one Joe on the body of another provided hours, nay, days of fun memories. The best birthday present I ever got was a Philadelphia Flyers hockey jersey for my 11th or 12th birthday. We lived in St. Louis, I was really getting into hockey and would listen to the Blues play on the radio (KMOX AM1120) and pledged allegiance to the Flyers (from the city where I was born) - the jersey was a gift from Grandmother and Grandfather. My other favorite article of clothing ever is still being passed down from brother to brother, my Top Gun bomber jacket. It was given to me by Pop on a trip back to southern California while visiting Top Gun school. I loved that jacket so much I wore it the rest of the trip, even to Sea World on a hot day! I remember winning Wayne Gretzky rollerblades from a Captain Crunch cereal sweepstakes when living in Landisville, PA - those things got worn until they were two or three sizes to small. I loved our family camping trips to Oregon and can also recall many days and nights spent in baseball parks around the country. Anaheim Stadium to see the Angels, Candelstick Park (Giants, but to see the Pirates), Oakland Coliseum (Athletics), Busch Stadium (Cardinals, but to see the Pirates), Camden Yards (Orioles), Veterens Stadium (Phillies, but to see the Pirates), Fulton County Stadium (Braves), Coors Field (Rockies), and just this past year PNC Park (Pirates, but to see the Braves). Perhaps as my life has progressed those are the things that have changed the most. My favorite teams and players. I used to be loyal (as Pop still is) to the Pirates and Steelers but for some reason began to like the Braves and in football now cheer for the Colts. Jay Bell (SS - Pirates) was my first favorite baseball player, then David Justice (RF - Braves) until he was traded, and now it's Chipper Jones (3B - Braves). I guess some things can change and no longer hold the same appeal. I guess when that happens, when I'm feeling sad, I'll simply remember my favorite things, look at my baseball cards, listen to "The Gambler," and then I won't feel so bad.

Super Bowl Reflections: Colts Win 29-17

2007-02-06T01:02:00.000-05:00

After sitting through the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI last night I was eagerly anticipating as much action for the rest of the the game. It was not to be. While I am happy that the Colts are World Champions and relieved that Peyton and Dungy finally got the proverbial monkey of their backs, I just wish the game had been better. To begin with I felt the AFC Championship game was the game to decide the champ - Colts v. Patriots, doesn't get any better. I think the AFC is the stronger conference and that there are at least four teams that would have defeated the Bears. (Colts, Pats, Ravens, and Chargers). Manning played a good game, Rex didn't, the Colts' defense played real well and capitalized on Rex's mistakes, and I think Coach Dungy made the better adjustments. Not kicking to Hester (after his 92 yd. run-back) was the best mid-game decision of the night; this produced a fumble on one kick-off and led to short returns and even a touch-back on others. Hopefully this is the first in a long line of Colts' titles, leading to quell all questions of Manning's place among the NFL's greatest quarterbacks. I think when all is said and done he will be the best EVER!!!
Aside from the game, Billy Joel's anthem was nice, Prince's performance could have been worse, and the commercials were average - some funny, some memorable, some repeats, and some that lacked Super Bowl worth. Here are two of my favorites.

"GM: Robot"

"Sierra Mist: Karate Class"

An Indiana Winter Sports Display

2007-01-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

Indiana sports teams were on display over the weekend for the whole nation to see. In two different sports, one college - one professional, the Hoosier state out-played teams from America's Northeast. On Saturday, Coach Sampson took his IU Hoosier squad to UConn to battle ole' Jim Calhoun's Huskies. This game may be the game to look back on this season and say "that's where it all started." Having lost to UConn the last two seasons, Indiana was able to come away from Hartford with the win 77-73. The old addage of "free throws wins basketball games" held true for the Hoosiers. True freshman Armon Bassett hit four clutch foul shots in the closing minutes and as a team IU shot 20-21 (UConn was 17-28). The win was Indiana's fifth in a row, after losing the Big Ten opener to Ohio St, and gives IU and impressive 14-4 record (4-1 in the Big Ten). The Bloomington ballers next game is on the road at Illinois and three games from now they host Wisconsin in, what looks to be, a battle for the top spot in the conference. Junior D.J. White was named Big Ten Player of the Week.

On the football field, Indiana hosted the primetime matchup featuring the NFL's biggest rivalry - New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game. Following a Chicago Bears midwestern win in the NFC title game, the Colts, led by Peyton Manning and on the game winning TD score from Joseph Addai, rallied to defeat their nemesis, 38-34, and advance to Super Bowl XLI (41). Trailing 21-6 at halftime, Peyton led the Colts out of the lockerroom and down the field on a 14-play drive to start the second half, scoring on a 1-yard QB keeper (21-13). The Pats went three and out and punted. Indy took over and drove the length of the field again, as Manning connected to Klecko for the TD and tacked on a pass to Harrison for the 2-pt. conversion tying the score at 21-21. New England scored a controversial touchdown as the third quarter wound down to take a 28-21 lead into the final period. But Manning would not be swayed and marched his team down the field for a third second-half touchdown to pull even at 28-28. Each team had three-and-outs before the Patriots took a three-point lead on new kicker Gostkowski's 28-yd. field goal. Vinatieri matched with a 36-yarder, and Gostkowski responded with a go-ahead 43-yarder with 3:49 remaining. The Colts were forced to punt but held on defense forcing New England to punt, giving the Colts and Manning 2:17 to work with. This proved to be more than enough time as Manning calmly drove the offense down the field, into New England territory, and handed the ball to Addai for a 3-yd. go-ahead-by-four TD. Tom Brady had 1-minute to make history but would be picked off by Marlin Jackson with :16 on the clock; Indianapolis had secured their ticket to Miami and the Super Bowl.

2007 - The Year I Graduate College

2007-01-21T03:01:00.000-05:00

As some of you may be finding out for the first time I have made a significant academic directional change in the last several weeks. I will not get into too much detail, but as a result of a C- in one of my Fall 2006 classes, an event that would cause me to add a semester to my Elementary Education degree, I have chosen to pursue a Bachelors Degree in General Studies from Indiana University. In the Ed program I was required to score a C or above in each of my classes. My science methods instructress was compelled to embark on a vendetta against me throughout the Fall semester. She was unwavering and harsh in her grading of my assignments, blatently sexist at times, and very biased towards me as a student and person. I made the mistake, early in the semester, of voicing my views on evolution and telling the class that I had been homeschooled ("those Christians!!"). From thence her additude towards me and my work was overly critical and as a result of a 43% grade on my final project (I thought just putting my name on it would have gotten me a higher score than 43%) I was given a C- for the semester. I floated the idea of challenging the grade, but came under the impression that I would not be able to prove her biased grading procedures and would get too far behind this semester to make any progress, and would instead loss ground. Having second thoughts about teaching to begin with, I had already researched the General Studies program. I then met with an advisor, resheduled my Spring classes, and am now a semester and a summer away from graduating with a Bachelors in General Studies (an entire year ahead of the Ed. School schedule). This does mean I have to start thinking about a career not in education. But as God has led me in this new direction, I trust He will also lead me to a career that will benefit and bless my life.
As I look forward to the winding down of a long and turbulant college career, I also look forward to new opportunities and new beginnings in my life.

P.S. I write this early Sunday morning, elated after a Hoosier victory @ UCONN and eagerly awaiting the show-down at the Dome that is Colts v. Patriots for the AFC title and a trip to the Super Bowl.

eChristmas Card

2006-12-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

What would the Christmas season be without a Crum family recitation of Luke 2:1-20. I think this passage is interesting in many ways. First, this passage has laid the groundwork for modern-day wedding and baby preparations. You see, when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, waiting to be married and expecting a child, what age-old tradition did they establish?? They registered. I'm not sure if there was a Target or Bed, Bath, & Beyond in tiny Bethlehem, but the corner market must have been the first recorded location of a dual bridal/baby shower registry. Secondly, while brushing up on my pronunciation of Quirinius (Quar-rin-e-us) and going through the motions - "UP from Galiee, OUT of the city of Nazareth, INTO Judea, TO the city of David..." - I came upon (Christmas lingo) a word that we read twice in this passage, a word that I, to this day, do not know the exact definition - swaddling. Blessed with a plethora of resources to turn to I began an in-depth inquiry into these so-called, "swaddling clothes." My first destination was a Google search - "definition of swaddling clothes." The first definition appeared and led me on to a sight for Colonial Williamsburg. Apparently "swaddling clothes" were popular in days past - "Clothing and strips of fabric were wrapped about a baby to hold its arms and legs immobile, straightening and strengthening the body. A practice from Roman times, swaddling began to disappear in the early 1700s, but remained a practice in some countries until the 1920s." I browsed longer at this glossary of colonial terms, learning more than I asked for. However, my mission was accomplished. I will no longer recite Luke 2 with definitionary doubt. Now if I could just get that cramped and odd picture of "Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger" out of my head, I'd be able to make it through without cracking a smile - you know the smile that I also have when answering the Tenth Commandment (something about coveting thy neighbors....you know).
I hope that this little Christmas thought finds you and yours well and enjoying the holiday season. Today, Thursday the 6th, marks a week before my semester ends (finals next week). I will be spending a week of my break in Maryland with the family, along with Jon. Thomas will also be there, as he is leaving Florida to make a new start, up north and back with the family. I’ve also heard word that Ben and Michal (returning soon to the U.S.) might also make an appearance, so that would be really sweet.
As a new year awaits (my 10 year high school reunion is this next summer) I look forward to the opportunities and work that God has in store for me. I pray that He will bless you this next year as much as He has blessed me - Merry Christmas.
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

WARNING!!! Sports Post to Follow

2006-11-10T02:04:00.000-05:00

The debate over the College Football Championship continues to travel many paths. It used to be a vote, but whose vote? Sports writers, coaches, both?? Now there's the Bowel Championship Series (yes, I wrote bowel because this system stinks!!). What the powers that be really need to do is form a playoff system, like the NFL Playoffs and college basketball's March Madness rolled into one. I saw this bracket online and the accompanying article and thought I'd post my two cents worth. The money makers will still make their money, and the football fans will rest easy knowing that there is only one national champ.

Bracket buster by Terry Bowden

Neglecting my post(ing)

2006-09-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

Looking over this blog you may have noticed, as I have, that I only posted three times since May, since May!!! Frankly, there is no excuse for this absence and I feel I must begin to make amends.

Other than my trip to Colorado with the brothers I had a relatively relaxing, uneventful summer. I worked a lot (still @ Macri’s), spent several days with the Maryland family at Deep Creek Lake in western MD, and enjoyed a visit from Grandmother and Grandfather (Moir).

While in MD my highlight was going with the family up to Pittsburgh for a day. We enjoyed a packed lunch on the point where the three rivers converge and then took in a day baseball game between the host Pirates and my Atlanta Braves – the Bucs won…booo!!! Afterwards we ventured up to Pop’s old hometowns and visited several of his childhood homes and other sites, including the World Famous Hot Dog Shop and then a dip of ice cream. I really feel blessed to have been able to spend quality time with all my family this summer.

GM & GF came through Bloomington on their way out west on a trip to see all the grandkids. They took me up to Indianapolis where we toured the Indy Raceway Park (IRP) racing museum. Having Grandfather as a personal tour guide was sweet, he really knows his stuff and was able to tell me more than I could ever know about the cars and the history behind them. My day with them concluded with Emily and me enjoying a nice dinner at Olive Garden and some conversation back at their motel.

Currently I am midway through the third week of the fall semester of my junior year at IU. This is my first semester in the School of Education, and so far there isn’t much to report. This Friday I begin a field experience at Grandview Elementary School where I will observe a class and teach four math and four science lessons to a group of 4-5 students. I like these field experiences and look forward to them more than anything else.

In my free time I have been working a little, watching a lot of football, and listening to some new music. Nate introduced me to a soundtrack to the movie, “The Last Kiss,” which is very relaxing and easy to listen to. Another band that I have enjoyed a lot are The Raconteurs. Jack Black, from The White Stripes, plays guitar and lends his voice to this group which had a kind of classic rock-Beatles-Zeppelin sound to them.

Of course I am still playing softball as well, currently we are 0-4 for the Fall League. But we are having fun and isn't that what they are teaching kids these days is more important.

Keep checking back for more posts, hopefully I will have some sweet stories from school to write about. Until then...Shalom!

Crikey!!

2006-09-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite ESPN commercial, featuring the late Steve Irwin.

I'm back!!!!!!!

2006-09-05T16:43:00.000-04:00

It's been too long between posts, I missed a whole month, so it's time I got back in the posting swing of things. With Ben out of the country I figure I might pick up the slack when it comes to posting obscure videos from the web...here's the first one (kind of long, but pretty funny).

Until next time (hopefully sooner and more frequently).

Pix from Colorado

2006-07-07T03:22:00.000-04:00

Many loyal readers, other than wondering where the posts have been, have also been eagerly awaiting pictures from my recent trip to Colorado.
I just spent five days in Colorado Springs over the 4th of July weekend, hanging with my brothers Peter (along with his wife and kids), Ben (and Michal), Jon, Nate, and Thomas. We spent an afternoon at the Air Force Academy, watched several movies, enjoyed, for the most part, each others company and conversation, and also trekked the Garden of the Gods. Here are some picture from the week.

Ashley, Jude, and Aravis

Air Force Academy Chapel

Garden of the Gods

For a CD of pictures from the trip, send a self address stamp CD envelope to:
Colorado Picture CD Offer
c/o Matthew Crum
2208 Covenanter Dr
Bloomington, IN 47401

Who are the real heroes

2006-05-03T17:44:00.000-04:00

As my family well knows, and most of my close friends too for that matter, I often plan my daily schedule (especially on the weekends) around the sporting events of the day. This time of year is especially difficult and requires advanced planning. I've had to balance studying for finals (minimal) against the NBA Playoffs, Major League Baseball, the occasional NHL playoff game (my Flyers were ousted last night by the Sabres), and even the NFL Draft. What is a brotha to do?? My interest in baseball this year is even more focused. I am in the Macri's Deli Fantasy League and therefore spend countless hours a week (let's be honest, hours every day) tweaking and re-tweaking my lineup for two weeks from today. I am in first place, so this time spent has payed off.
But the real meat of this post is to address the issue of athletes as role models and heroes. For me I can recall childhood memories by remembering a game winning hit scoring Sid Bream vs. the Pirates or by listing the starting lineups for the Athletics and Giants for the 1989 World Series (The Bash Brothers were bad!!). I've had my favorite players too as the years go by. It was first Jay Bell, shortstop for the Pirates, then David Justice when he played for the Braves, and now it's Chipper (Larry) Jones for Atlanta. But it's the stigma of the not-so-moral role model that makes me ask, who are the real heroes?? Admittedly I stopped liking Justice when he was traded from the Braves to the Indians, but the fact that he divorced the beautiful Halle Berry might also have influenced a total dislike for this guy.
Nowadays we have guys like Kobe Bryant, John Daly, and Barry Bonds, sending the wrong messages to sports enthusiasts and kids. Cheating on your wife is OK, gambling away millions of dollars is nothing, and cheating the game and destroying your body is a personal choice and one that should not be punished by someone else. In the latter case of Bonds we see a spoiled-rotten, angry at life and the media, older man who thinks that his actions should not affect anyone else but him. So what if he took steroids, to him that shouldn't be anyone's business. Along with his cocky approach to baseball is his view that everyone is out to get him. Well finally, Major League Baseball is!! Bonds' image is cracking as he is being investigated by a Federal Grand Jury and his steroids-riddled body is also beginning to hamper his pursuit of the HR record. Just this week, MLB announced that there would be no celebration when and if Bonds passes Ruth - no banners, no fireworks, no commemorative merchandise. Well Barry, it looks like you've alienated the game and your diminishing fan base long enough. The past will catch up to Bonds and everyone else who cheats the game - they do say that "Cheaters Never Prosper"
So stay away from the pro athletes, the hollywood stars, and the drug and sexed up musicians and look for role models and heroes that deserve to be imitated. The real heroes are in our communities; our parents and teachers are a few I can think of. The fact that they aren't selfish for the big bucks is evidence enought that they care about something more than fame and fortune. Who are the real heroes?? Turn off the TV or iPod and find out!!

Why I love iTunes

2006-04-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

Tuesday morning (I'm talking like 2am) is my favorite time of the week and not because I am fast asleep in bed. Over the past two years I have begun a routine of logging on to my computer, opening iTunes, and checking out the latest albums and singles to hit the airways. Just this morning I was at it again and I noticed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a new album soon to be released Stadium Arcadium (iTunes offers a pre-order option usually with some added tracks or bonus features). I listened to the 30 second sample of the first single "Dani California" and liked it and then just about 10 minutes ago MTV played the video. Let's just say I am ready to pre-order this album and can't wait for it's release May 9th. The Chili Peppers have made some sweet videos in the past and this one does not disappoint. It's a montage of musical genres and eras with RHCP playing the roles of some famous rockers. I won't spoil it but let's just say this is the Chili Peppers as you've never seen them before. As for the hype for this album, I am starting it. I liked some tracks off the last disc By the Way, but it did not compare with Californication, and I was a little disappointed. Stadium Arcadium, which is a double-disc by the way (pun intended), may be just the heat these Chili Peppers need to reignite their career. So here is what you need to do...go to iTunes and listen to single, maybe pre-order the album (they're not 'giving it away'), and get ready to rock out.
Another band that also has an album in the works and near release is Pearl Jam. I'm not too sure what this one will be like; the last one, Riot Act, was deffinitly not the Pearl Jam of old. Guess I'll just have to wait until it come out on iTunes as well to get a listen.

The Buzz

2006-03-30T02:15:00.000-05:00

What better timing than Final Four weekend for the center of basketball hysteria in this great country to name its new coach. Bloomington was electric yesterday as speculation spread that the new man for the Hoosiers was Oklahoma University's Kelvin Sampson. Today, about quarter after four in the afternoon, a press conference was held in Assembly Hall to introduce Coach Sampson as Head Coach. I don't have a solid opinion of Coach Sampson either positive or negative. From his record he seems to be a good coach, but there are some other aspects about him that could go either way. I think he brings confidence and experience that Coach Mike Davis lacked, and I feel he wants to be more visible and vocal about the team and his goals for IU Basketball.
To combine two unrelated topics into one post...I saw two new flicks recently - "Inside Man" and "V for Vendetta."
"Inside Man" was good, well directed, with a solid story and interesting plot. The acting was cliché for a bank robbery movie. Tough, smart negotiator (Denzel Washington) vs. even smarter bank robber (Clive Owen). Jodie Foster's character was kind of a mystery, she had some sort of political pull, but who cared!! I must say, for a Denzel pic, I was somewhat left wanting...there was so much potential but I had to settle for run-of-the-mill.

"V for Vendetta" was fun and adventurous. Of course it was political, but it did raise some thoughtful questions. At times I felt as if the movie was almost supporting terrorism and there were some gay/lesbian persecution themes meant to provoke emotion. Natalie Portman (above), I thought, did a great job; she seemed honest, and touched on her emotions in an effective way. There was also a definite Matrix touch to the film - produced, directed, and written by the W-brothers and Joel Silver and starring Hugo Weaving a.k.a Agent Smith a.k.a. the man elf (Jon and Mom would know his name) from "The Lord of the Rings." There is a fair amount of violence and blood, some homosexual themes, some sexual situations, and maybe even some language, but I did enjoy the movie and would like to see it again to understand it a bit more.
Movies and basketball have been about it for me lately...oh yeah, and going to class and studying. But after the first week of May (finals week) all that is going to change. I can't wait. My summer plans don't include any big trips, as of yet, and do include a full work schedule making lots of money and lots of time spent outdoors getting tan and back in shape. I am also playing on the Sherwood Oaks softball team again and hope to play a lot of basketball as well...we'll see how all these plans work out.
Until my next post, hopefully sometime in the near future, stay classy San Diego!!

Spring Semester Update

2006-02-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

I realize that it has been too long since my last post. My spring semester classes are getting hectic. Just this week I had a 40-min presentation on Tuesday night, and a test on Tuesday, one today (Wed.), and one tomorrow. I haven't really had much time for anything else. What time I do have is spent at Macri's, mostly on weekends, or spending time with Emily. Her semester is by far heavier than mine. It is her second semester of Grad School and her course work and client case load is pretty intense. She does an amazing job, managing her time and getting all her work done. I guess I have it rather easy.
This weekend we are having a really cool event for church. The college group is hosting a "Senior Prom" for the senior citizens from Sherwood Oaks. It is a dance at a local catering ballroom and should be fun. There is going to be a Big Band, 30s and 40s style music, food, and even dance cards. I can't wait to get my Waltz or Jitterbug on!!
It has been a rather busy past couple months for me as sports are concerned, the real reason I go to IU. The Longhorns won the national title in College football in dramatic fashion and then just this past Sunday the Steelers captured Super Bowl XL. While that game is being criticized by many for poor officiating, you can't take anything away from the run that the Steelers had to win it all. Even though Indianapolis finished with a disappointing show in the playoffs, I couldn't be happier for Bill Cowher. He is one of the best coaches of my era (80s-present). They are really a testament to great defense and a consistent, sometimes dominant offense.
Looking ahead, the semester will end early in May, and between now and then I hope to have the chance to visit my parent's new home in Baltimore and catch and NHL game all over Spring Break. The Flyers (my favorite hockey team) are play in Pittsburgh the Sunday at the beginning of break. My plan is to drive to Pitt, see the game, and then spend some time in Maryland with my fam. It should be nice to have a change of scenery on my trip; Florida was getting too long of a drive and boy was it boring.
Well that's it for me for now...I hope to keep the updates a little more consistent and even throw some meaningful posts in every now and then.
I'm out!!

Trailers

2005-12-14T02:39:00.000-05:00

I often check out the QuickTime tap of Apple.com to get a sneak peak at some up coming movies. Many of the trailers on the site are the same ones that are already showing on TV but I am always able to find one or two movies of interest that I know nothing about. Two such pics are M. Night Shyamalan's newest production "Lady in the Water". The trailer is, as is usual for Night, very vague and yet very captivating. In the 30 seconds or so that I saw I'm looking forward to this movie. I've always been a fan of Night's movies and hope this one is just as good. The second movie that I am putting on my watch list stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. It's a bank robbery tale where Owen plays a smart crook with the perfect plan and Denzel is the hostage negotiator. At first I thought this movie was being directed by Spike Jonze (Three Kings), but instead it's a Spike Lee Joint. This could get interesting.

M@

IU Basketball

2005-12-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago the 2005-06 season began for NCAA basketball and the Indiana Hoosiers. Opening the season 3-0, the Hoosiers took on No. 1 Ranked Duke last night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, losing 75-67 at Assembly Hall. The Hall was packed with fans wearing a mix of red and mostly white for a national TV audience (and very little blue). Duke jumped on some early IU turnovers and took a very quick 16-2 lead. But IU battled back from a halftime deficit, on the shoulders or Marco Killingsworth's 34 points, and took a 53-52 lead with eight minutes to play. Duke, led by seniors J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams, rallied and came away with the 8-point victory. I was sitting with my buddy Scott and junior guard Errek Suhr's parents, Buck and Jane. The atmosphere was very intense and the noise level was deafening throughout the game. As IU would make a run the crowd noise would increase, forcing Duke into several turnovers or timeouts. In my Indiana biased opinion, had sophomore (and Big Ten freshman of the year last season) D.J. White not been sidelined with a broken foot (out for several weeks) the IU post presence would have been too much for Duke, creating opportunities in the paint as well as freeing up the shooters around the arc. As it stood, Killingsworth went unchecked, but the three pointers that IU has lived off of this season were shut down. That was the game, it was great.

A side note: Suhr has been getting plenty of playing time this season, his first on scholarship. Through the first four games he is averaging 20 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists - per game. He tallied a career high 8 rebounds in the season opener vs. Nicholls State, and threw in a career high 13 points vs. Florida A & M. Before the Duke game he was ranked 2nd in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, going 10-13 from beyond the arc (he missed his only three-point attempt vs. Duke and is now ranked 4th).

My List

2005-11-30T01:09:00.000-05:00

Inspired by a blog by my brother Jon I have taken little time (which may be a detractor) to compose a list of the Top 20 Albums That I Currently Like And Thus Listen To Frequently. These are in no order and are accompanied by some comments (if necessary).

"The Rising Tied" - Fort Minor: This is a rap/hip hop group led by the Linkin Park rapper. I really like the beats and the rhymes are very brilliant and not the same old raps, but more intelligent and thought-provoking.
"Walk the Line" - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: This album features Joaquin Phoenix singing Johnny Cash, Reese Witherspoon singing June Carter, and several other artists singing the songs from the movie (a good movie at that). I have never really listened to Johnny Cash, but the movie and this album have me hooked.
"Apathetic EP" - Relient K: This 7-song EP has some of Relient K's hits done acoustically as well as some new tracks. It's somewhat short in length, but beautiful and peaceful listening.
"Hopes and Fears" - Keane: This band takes a similar approach to Coldplay. Guitar, drums, and lead piano. A complete album with numerous memorable tracks and catchy riffs.
"Origin of Symmetry" - Muse: If you haven't listened to this album and you like Radiohead, get it now!!
"Illinois" - Sufjan Stevens: Beautiful, a dazzling album of instrumentations and new sounds. I can listen to this album over and over again.
"Mezmerize" - System of a Down: See next comment....
"Hypnotize" - System of a Down: These albums both came out this year and kind of go together. It's the same System sound; heavy guitar and drums, politics, and harmony - a unique but amazing combination.
"White Album" - The Beatles: Often mistaken for a Greatest Hits album (because of the color), this double-disc is loaded with some of The Beatles most progressive music, and some of their best.
"X&Y" - Coldplay: I waited a long time for this albums release and was not disappointed. It was all I listened to for weeks afterwards. Every time I put it on I find myself singing along and getting lost in the emotions and depths that this album contains.
"Make Believe" - Weezer: I love this album, it's so catchy and fun. Each track has it's own flavor yet a sound that says this is Weezer at their best.
"Room on Fire" - The Strokes: I might be anticipating the release of their next album almost as much as I waited for Coldplay. If it's anything like "Room on Fire" I'm sure to get consumed. Distinct and not drawn out Rock and Roll!!
"Give Up" - The Postal Service: A musical collaboration brought this album to the scene and my attention. I first listened to it while working at Macri's and haven't stopped. It's wholesome and endlessly entertaining.
"Kerosene Hat" - Cracker: This album is older than most of the others on this list, going back to the grunge days of the 1990s. The music is so complete and well produced, with memorable lyrics and songs that will get stuck in your head.
"Oh, Inverted World" - The Shins: This group gained attention for their songs in the movie "Garden State" and it's not a surprise that the rest of the tracks are just as good. It's a style that seems to stem from the glory days of Rock, with solid music and equally solid vocals.

Others that made the list include:

The Bloodhound Gang "Hefty Fine", Led Zeppelin "IV", Dave Matthews Band "Crash", Kelly Clarkson "Breakaway", and any album by Pearl Jam (usually the one I am hooked on at the time - right now it's "No Code").

Tune back in six months from now and I imagine this list will be completely different, but that's why I love music so much.

Weekend Update

2005-11-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is a short recap of my trip to South Bend to tailgate at the Notre Dame vs. Tennessee football game.
7 am - leave Bloomington
10:30am - arrive in South Bend, park with over 2,000 cars carrying thousands of tailgaters (many in Tennessee orange).
10:30am-12:30pm - grill some brats, throw football, try some random older ladies' deer jerky (yuck!!)
12:30pm - take free shuttle to stadium (the field was about a mile away), begin searching for scalpers selling tickets.
12:30pm - 1:30pm - wandering among the masses of students and alumni as well as others enjoying the festivities, finally find scalper and buy tickets. $100!!!
1:40pm - approach stadium to find out our tickets are fake
1:45pm - get interviewed by detectives, lament, get real tickets (yeah!!!)
2:00pm - in our seats right behind the student section
2:30pm - Game Time!!
6:30pm - Game over, 41-21 Notre Dame gets the win.
11:30pm - Back home in Bloomington!!!

After our scalper episode took us for an emotional ride we were able to join in the electric atmosphere that fills Notre Dame Stadium. The game was a showcase of the Irish talents. Brady Quinn was off to a hot start completing passed to Jeff Samardjia, a TD to Anthony Fasano, another to Maurice Stovall. 14-3 after the first quarter. Tom Zbikowski returned a punt in the second quarter, 78 yards for the score and ND led at the half 21-10. The Vols rallied in the third, tying the game by the end of the quarter. But the Irish put an end to the threat and tallied 20 more points - Samardjia caught his 12th TD, two field goals, and an interception by Zbikowski ran back for six, gave Notre Dame the celebration. This was a day, a game, I shall never forget. Check this off my list (a long list) of places and sporting events to see.

The picture is of the Notre Dame library. It has a mural of Jesus Christ and other biblical characters on the tall side. Jesus has his arms raised to heaven in what is known as "Touchdown Jesus."

Road Trip

2005-11-03T01:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not much of a Notre Dame fan, but who can resist a road trip with some friends. This weekend I am heading up to South Bend, IN to tail-gate at the ND vs. Tennessee football game. The temperatures are mild for this time of year here in Bloomington, but I expect chilly temps up in South Bend. I don't expect to view the game in person (maybe go to a local sports bar or something) but the experience of being on a campus where they actually care about their football team should be exciting. At least basketball season is beginning down here and the students and alum actually care about them.
By the way...if you are not aware of the new Crum Family Blog check out my links!!!
M@

I Have A Kid

2005-10-20T02:27:00.000-05:00

Not really, but read on...
Being the late night person that I am I was flipping through the masses of infomercials late one night several weeks ago when I came across a program put on by World Vision. This is the organization that sets up child sponsorship and other financial opportunities for helping the poor in various poor countries. I was not only touched by the images of sickly thin and hungry children but by a conviction to do something with what wealth I have as an American. I am not on the largest of monthly incomes, but figured that I could easily do away with several fast food meals a week and also put part of my montly tithe to use as a child sponsor. Growing up I had this impression that the only tithe was to put money in the offering plate. Well, now I understand that this is just one way to give back from what God has given me. So I decided to set aside $30 a month for a boy named Mamadou Ba Diallo. This helps him go to school and have food to eat. Having spent some time over my last two summers in Mexico on short term missions trips I would love to have the opportunity to some day go to Africa and work over there, maybe even meeting this young boy who God has called my to support. And hey, if a college kid like me can do it why can't every family or church group find a way to set aside $30 a month to share the love of God to the children of the world??

Sad day

2005-10-10T02:31:00.000-05:00

The Braves were eliminated from the post-season by the Houston Astros today...a dismal showing to say the least. Well, now I can focus on the 6-0 Penn State Nittany Lions, the 5-0 Indianapolis Colts, and hockey...yes the NHL is back!!
On a completely different note, on the suggestion of my friend Nat Hill, I got my hands on the DVD "Equilibrium." What a movie!! It stars Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Machinist) and is similar in theme to The Matrix, Gattaca, and Minority Report. It's kind of a futuristic pic, with a very definite message in it, and some killer fight scenes. If you can stand some violence this is a good one to watch..no sex..no language!!
Matt

Not much to report

2005-09-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

School has been taking up most of my time lately so there has been little time to relax, let alone post.
My classes have been going well. I especially am enjoying my art class and music class. I've been learning the recorder and bother...er practice all the time. I have also completed several projects for the art class. The most recent was a charcoal self portrait of a photo copy of my face and hand.

What little free time I have has been spent playing softball for Sherwood Oaks Christian Church ("The Molly's"), and keeping up on my Fantasy Football Leagues.
I would also like to mention that the IU Football team is currently 3-0. They opened the season with a 20-13 win at Central Michigan, opened at home with a close 35-31 victory over Nicholls St. (Div. II), and last weekend throttled Kentucky 38-14. It's now time for the Big 10 season to begin, and for IU to find out just how good they can be.
I will continue to keep posting on IU Football as well as the other things that I find of interest in my life.
Matt

School

2005-08-18T00:17:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here unable to prevent the inevitable, the ever-approaching start of school. While yes, I am glad to be getting closer to my degree, I am also feeling the desire to get out of the classroom and into the classroom. Huh?!? Simply stated I want to stop the mind-numbing process of studying and exams and labs and group presentations and trade all that for a classroom of students, where I teach, encourage, and hopefully impact as a positive role model.

On a completely different note, just because I go to Indiana University, that does not require me to attend, root for, of care about IU Football. I see other major universities with proud football heritage - Southern Cal, Michigan, Florida, Nebraska, and Notre Dame - and then I remember that IU hasn't sold out tiny Memorial Stadium at least since I've lived in Bloomington. True, IU is a basketball school, but come on!! Every other school in the Big Ten (11) has won a conference title, except the Hoosiers, in the same dismal time frame as their attendance has suffered through. Now there is a new coach, new recruits, a new system, and with all that - new hype. And like Notre Dame and Florida (who also have new head coaches) - those who follow football in Bloomington will be keeping a close eye on the situation as this year's season unfolds. Can we beat Kentucky? Can we at least give Purdue a fight for the Bucket?? Will the right steps be made to get us back into the mix and closer to smelling Roses (BCS post coming soon!)??

On an even more unrelated topic - I'm listening to a band from the grunge era that is really rockin'. Some of you may remember the one hit wonder "Low" by the band Cracker - well that so-called one hit is the lead track on a very impressive album entitled "Kerosene Hat." It's an album that flows from track to track with a very catchy riffs and beats and sound production (pun intended). It's well worth the trip back to the glory days of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, but a little lighter than those two headliners.

Home Grown

2005-07-30T06:32:00.000-05:00

I hope the title of this post hasn't given you the wrong impression, it refers (not reefers) to baseball and the Atlanta Braves.
While some teams in Major League Baseball prefer to go out and buy the best players around to put themselves in a position to make the playoffs and possibly the World Series, the Atlanta Braves continue to use their own farm system and scouts to put together a dominate force in the National League East.
Starting in the 90s, the Braves used players like David Justice, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz to win pennants and titles - all products of their farm system. Now in the 21st Century, the Braves are sticking with what works. Look at Andruw and Chipper Jones (pictured below), Rafael Furcal, and this year's bumper crop of critical call-ups - Jeff Francoeur, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Langerhans, and Pete Orr.

Sure the Braves have had superstars come and go...Gary "I won't play unless I'm paid" Sheffield, Raul Mondesi, J.D. Drew, to name a few, but it's the timely play of this year's new no-names that has the Braves in first place and looking like the team to beat. If the Braves can get a little more consistency in the pitching department it will be the big spenders like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals that will be scratching their heads at the end of the season, spending all that money for nothing.
It is good to be a Braves fan...no guilty, rich, spoiled kid feeling, instead a sense of pride and accomplishment in a team that has worked hard on all levels and has earned their spot at the top of the standings.
P.S. I'm pumped to go see the Braves play in person, Aug. 4 at Cincinnati.
- M@

Dog Days of Summer

2005-07-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last entry and there is a good reason, I haven't had anything to write about. I did recently attend the 2005 Barrow Family Reunion, this is my girlfriend Emily's mom's annual gathering, this year down at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. We did the roller coasters and waterpark on Tuesday which was a blast, the temp was about 90-95 so the water park was a definite hit. Then on Thursday we spent the late morning and early afternoon on a seven mile stretch of the Blue River in Southern Indiana, canoeing. The temps were even higher and more humid and with the slow moving current of the river this made for an interesting trip. All in all it was a fun time - getting to know Emily's cousins and aunts and uncles is always great. They keep asking when we're getting married, much to Emily's embarrassment, so I guess they accept me as part of the family.
Time has been passing too quickly though. School starts up again on Aug. 29 and that day is approaching too fast. Too many movies to see, too much sleeping still to catch up on. This brings me to a movie recommendation: Batman Begins. Good story, characters, and a better Batman movie than the cheesy ones with Arnold Schwartzaneger, Tommy Lee Jones, and Danny DeVito. I also think Christian Bale portrays a more convincing Batman than Keaton, Kilmer, or Clooney did. I haven't been to see War of the Worlds...yet, and I saw Wedding Crashers (funny, but definitely crude and not recommended for my parents).
One last note - a CD suggestion. If you haven't already, check out Weezer's latest album, "Make Believe." It's vintage Weezer with the production and sound quality of the Blue Album, it is that good.
Sweatin' in B-town!!
M@

Some Mexico Pix

2005-07-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some snapshots from my trip to Mexico (courtesy of Jessica Noffsinger)- soon there will be an album from the trip on the Family Camp website - www.famcamp.org.

Pictured from left to right: Back row - Me, Charlie Geier, Kris Simms, Scott Scrogham; Middle row - Emily Ellsworth, Hannah Geier, Jessica Noffsinger; Front row - Jennifer Walker and Lindsay Degitz.

This friendly fella strolled through camp one night.

The Pacific Ocean was just west of our camp, making for a beautiful sunset everynight.

This is one of the families that we built a home for. The Grandmother is holding a two-day-old newborn who hadn't even been named yet.

CD Review: Coldplay "X&Y"

2005-06-30T17:43:00.000-05:00

This is not going to be one of those artsy album reviews where a dictionary is needed to adequately understand what the reviewer is talking about. Instead, I just want to talk a little about one of my favorite bands and music in general. Coldplay is definitely the band that, not only has the number one album in the country, but is monopolizing my iPod playlist. I am one of those fans that was at Wal-Mart at midnight June 7 to pick up a copy of their latest release, "X&Y", and since then it's been music to my ears. Like their last effort, "A Rush of Blood to the Head", X&Y offers memorable tracks from the get-go. With lyrics that stick and are easily picked up - tracks like "What If", "White Shadows", "Fix You", the first single "Speed of Sound", and "The Hardest Part" - X&Y is a complete album, deserving of a complete listen.
But you might be thinking, "so what, everyone listens to Coldplay, what makes your tastes in music so different?"
Well I am an individual - and one scroll on my iTunes or iPod would quickly yield a vast array of musical tastes. From Willie Nelson and Toby Keith to Enya and Josh Groban, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to The Postal Service and The Shins, my collection is classical and country, rock and rap, and at it's best my own. (By the way if you haven't heard of the last two "The" artists, they are great!!!) I imagine that most anyone would agree that certain moods call for certain music, and I'm not just referring to the romantic mood. When I'm cleaning house I can listen to anything upbeat, usually some rock like Hoobastank or Guns N' Roses, when I'm relaxing I enjoy Dashboard Confessional (on right now!), The Wallflowers, or The Counting Crows. Of course then I have some Dr. Dre and Eminem and that's a different vibe and mood altogether.
So maybe what I am trying to say is that as a person with an ear for most any genre of music, don't be turned off by the "pop" label that has been given to a band like Coldplay. They make quality albums, and their latest, "X&Y" is worth picking up.

My Mexico Trip

2005-06-29T01:20:00.000-05:00

For the second year now I was able to work on staff as part of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church's Family Camp, in La Gloria, Mexico. As staff I, and about 40 other volunteers, arrived in SanDiego, CA and drove to La Gloria, just south of Tijuana, Mexico June 16 to set up camp. Family Camp lives up to it's name as on Saturday the camp balooned to over 200 people, an actual tent city was errected, and a week of home building and outreach was ready to begin. From Monday to Thursday of the next week, the camp went out to eight different work sites and built small two room houses for eight mexican families. It was a hard week of work, no power tools, mixing concrete and framing walls in the hot mexican heat. But the reward was great. In a short amount of time, relationships were started - with American campers and the mexican people. All the homes were compeleted and given to the families, and by weeks end many had given their lives to Christ and about seven or eight campers were baptized in the Pacific Ocean. While a group of eight of us college student staff members spent several days afterwards in San Diego, the lasting memories from this trip will be of the smiling faces, and the humble hearts of the mexican people. How kind they can be - in the midst of poverty they gave so freely of what little they posess to show us thanks and love. The children laughed and played together, as easily as if not language barrier existed. What did I learn from this trip? That I don't need a cell phone or fancy clothes but a gracious heart. I long to go back and hope that God will continue to provide this opportunity has he so faithfully has these last two summers. I want to grow more, and give what I can. I think the thing I want the most is to learn Spanish so I can better communicate. This is really an important goal of mine so I can tell them that it's because of the love of Jesus in me that I serve them. For more info on Family Camp check out the website (http://www.famcamp.org).

Ready to enter the world of blogging

2005-06-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

I have never been one to put too much time or effort into writing down my thoughts but gathered that it couldn't hurt to take time every now and then to offer my opinions. Whether it be a movie or CD review or a commentary on the news and politics (which I don't follow too closely) a personal blog is a good way for people (you the reader) to find out what I follow, where I have been, what I do with my time, and the other things of interest that I observe. I hope to stay current with my posts, as I will approach this almost like a public diary of sorts. Enjoy!!! - Matt