Thanks for That

"And God, we just pray that in his last year in his 20's, you'll remind Clint that once you hit 30, it's all down hill. So just help him to make the best of this year."

- Colin Noonan, one of my new roommates (and new friends), in his prayer before my birthday steaks.

Thanks, dude, the rapidly thinning hair and sore knees aren't enough of a reminder.

Perfect Tribute

When I think of people passing away ... I think the best way to honor someone's life is to reevaluate your own life.
-Bobby Neu

I'm fortunate in that I'm not going through this type of situation now, but when I am, I'll remember these wise words from a good friend going through a tough time.

More Music That's Moving Me

I'm probably waaaaaaay behind on this, but I just discovered it, so it's noteworthy to me. I have really questioned whether I want to hear another effort from Mumford & Sons. Their freshman effort, Sigh No More (mentioned at least several times on this blog), hit me at a crucial time in my life and is incredible, both musically and lyrically. I firmly felt they could never produce anything that moved me the way their first album did. Then, I found this.



It's raw, but amazing. Mumford tells yet another story in a beautiful, meaningful way. I can't wait to hear more from these guys.

Interesting Point of View

I grew up a huge Duke fan thanks to my grandfather being an alumnus. That, combined with the fact that the Steelers are not on in phoenix,  led to an interest in the ESPN special "Coach K's Record Climb." The following quote caught my ear:

"I like anger, anger destroys bad things."

Interesting.

Music of the Month

Florence + The Machine has been consistently rocking my face off for close to a year now. Their first album, Lungs, is an eclectic mix of many different sounds, all providing a backing for Florence Welch's stunning artistry and vocals. While a couple of the tracks are uncomfortably dark, the album as a whole is incredible and has been in my car or on my iPhone since I bought it. I personally love the amount of passion that Florence is able to consistently convey in her music.

The band's newest album, Ceremonials, is their sophomore effort. Conveniently, it came out last Tuesday, a day I was traveling back to Phoenix from San Diego. I picked it up and listened to it a couple times during my six hour drive. I'm going to have to listen to it a little more for a full opinion, but it is definitely very good. The following is the lead single off the album, "What the Water Gave Me." While the video doesn't do a whole lot for me, the song is incredible. Listen. Enjoy.

Favorite Single Serving Site

http://ryangoslingvspuppy.tumblr.com/

The answer is a resounding YES!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Phoenix

Today, I drove back to Phoenix after a week long stay in San Diego. The following things occurred during my drive:

1. I witnessed a Yuma County employee in her government vehicle reading as she drove down the 60, at night, with her dome light on.

2. A large truck with a large fifth wheel trailer sped past me with many border patrol vehicles trailing it. The border patrol vehicles boxed the truck in, forcing it to pull over. I will be watching the local news to see if they mention exactly what that was all about.