Television

Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy ..--..--..--..Television The Drug Of The Nation..--..--..--..--.. One nation under God has turned into one nation under the influence of one drug [chorus:] Television the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation (2x) T.V. it satellite links our United States of Unconsciousness Apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive The methadone metronome pumping out 150 channels 24 hours a day you can flip through all of them and still there's nothing worth watching T.V. is the reason why less than 10 per cent of our Nation reads books daily Why most people think Central Amerika means Kansas Socialism means unamerican and Apartheid is a new headache remedy absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us It shapes our mind the most maybe the mother of our Nation should remind us that we're sitting too close to... [Chorus:] Television, the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation (2x) T.V. is the stomping ground for political candidates Where bears in the woods are chased by Grecian Formula'd bald eagles T.V. is mechanized politic's remote control over the masses co-sponsored by environmentally safe gases watch for the PBS special It's the perpetuation of the two party system where image takes precedence over wisdom Where sound bite politics are served to the fastfood culture Where straight teeth in your mouth are more important than the words that come out of it Race baiting is the way to get selected Willie Horton or Will he not get elected on... [Chorus:] Television, the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation (2x) T.V., is it the reflector or the director ? Does it imitate us or do we imitate it because a child watches 1500 murders before he's twelve years old and we wonder why we've created a Jason generation that learns to laugh rather than to abhor the horror T.V. is the place where armchair generals and quarterbacks can experience first hand the excitement of warfare as the theme song is sung in the background Sugar sweet sitcoms that leave us with a bad actor taste while pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars You saw the video You heard the soundtrack Well now go buy the soft drink Well, the onla cola that I support would be a union C.O.L.A.(Cost Of Living Allowance) On television [Chorus:] Television, the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation (2x) Back again, "New and improved" We return to our irregularly programmed schedule hidden cleverly between heavy breasted beer and car commercials CNNESPNABCTNT but mostly B.S. Where oxymoronic language like "virtually spotless", "fresh frozen" "light yet filling" and "military intelligence" have become standard T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined like "recession" to "necessary downturn" "Crude oil" on a beach to "mousse" "Civilian death" to "collateral damages" and being killed by your own Army is now called "friendly fire" T.V. is the place where the pursuit of happiness has become the pursuit of trivia Where toothpaste and cars have become sex objects Where imagination is sucked out of children by a cathode ray nipple T.V. is the only wet nurse that would create a cripple [Chorus:] Television, the drug of the Nation Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation (4x

First thing's first...

Well, there's not better way to ring in the New Year than with a big change. I don't think I'd have it any other way.

I posted a blog a while back mentioning that Jared had quit the band and that my friend Todd had decided to join as the new singer. Well after giving it a whirl for several months, and putting on several thousand miles in our van, Todd has decided FOA is not where he needs to be at this point in his life. He's going to continue playing shows with us for a little while longer, hopefully until we're able to find someone else. I'm not upset in the slightest about his decision. Actually I'm happy about it. I think we were all beginning to understand that we weren't the ideal match for each other. This ministry requires an extreme amount of commitment and time away from home, and it wasn't meant for him. Todd will continue in his ministry at King of Kings Lutheran church and FOA will find another lead singer. I think we will all be more effective this way.

If there are any youth pastors or promoters reading this, have no worries. We will continue to play shows as scheduled. I'll be calling you all personally to fill you in when I have more info. Todd didn't leave because we couldn't get along or because his heart wasn't into ministry. This just wasn't the right ministry for him. We will make sure that the next singer, whoever that may be (and we have some exciting candidates at this point) has an extreme passion for youth and for ministry and will be able to live a life on the road. We will be unwaivering in this resolve. The next singer will be THE permanent singer for FOA.

I'm excited about the possibilities and will update everyone when we get something established.

Happy 2008!

What have we become...

2 hours ago a gunman opened fire in the Westroads Mall here in Omaha. As of right now everyone I know is safe, but names have yet to be released. I do know that one of my friends was there and witnessed everything from the beginning. As stunned as we can be everytime something like this happens in our country, it never compares to what it's like when it happens close to home. What have we become? Can we really look at this country and continue to say we're doing ok without God?

There are 2 things I know for sure.

1. I refuse to live in fear.

2. I refuse to accept that this is just the way it is.

We can make a difference. We can make a change. We cannot allow this to continue.

Christmas...

I was finally able to put up my Christmas tree yesterday. If you know me, this is actually a really long time to wait. I was supposed to put it up the weekend of Thanksgiving, but the band ended up finding out on Saturday about a show we were supposed to play on Sunday and I wasn’t able to get to it.

My tree isn’t anything special. I picked it up at Wal-Mart for $20 a few years back. None of the guys in my house had enough for a tree themself so I figured I’d treat everyone. I’ve still got and use all the cheap little ornaments I bought for it. There was nothing sentimental about them when I bought them, but over the last couple years they’ve started to become so.

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I know there are a lot of people who complain about Christmas being “over-commercialized” and hate the holiday because of it. While I agree with them, I don’t share their sentiment. Everything is over-commercialized these days from music to church to Nascar, but it’s what YOU make of it that matters.

As a Christian, the biggest reason I’m thankful for the season is obvious. The reason it’s my favorite time of year though has to do with family. For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been the time for my family to get closer (and not just while opening dozens of presents). I remember years where we didn’t know if we’d have enough money for gas to drive around and look at Christmas lights, not enough for a Christmas tree, and not enough for lots of expensive presents. Come to think of it, despite the lack of packages underneath the 1-foot tall Christmas tree, the Christmas I’m referring too is probably one of the fondest memories of my life. Christmas with my family taught me that giving really is better than receiving and that there are more important things in life than things.

When I listen to Anberlin it inspires me to want to change the world. When I go to church I find my faith growing stronger. I don’t really watch Nascar, but I’m sure if I loved Dale Earnhardt Jr. he would inspire me in some way. The Christmas season inspires me to be a better person. I’m positive that if any of the ba-humbugs out there would use the time they spend complaining to, I don’t know, feed the homeless, buy presents for needy children (though that would, God forbid, feed the consumerism), or even call a friend who they know is going through a hard time or who they haven't spoken to in a long time, that the Christmas season would take on a whole new meaning for them. If that might be you, give it a try. I think you’d be surprised. I promise I won' tell anyone.



PS Another thing I love about Christmas is drinking a peppermint mocha while reading by the fire as it’s snowing outside.

Kansas

It was a sunny day in Kansas and the small town carnival we just finished playing had been a success. Everyone was in a great mood. After the show, each of the guys went their own direction with their significant others and we decided to meet in an hour to get things loaded up. Mindy had come along with me and we had driven separate. We were going to be leaving before everyone else. While we were wandering I happened to bump into my Pastor from Omaha. I wasn't quite sure what he was doing down here, but after saying "hi" I forget to ask. After some cotten candy we headed back to my Blazer and started loading up the equipment. Soon enough it was starting to get dark and we were headed out.

About an hour down the road we decide we are hungry and want to stop to get something to eat. We'd had enough of restaurants and fast food so we decide to swing into the local grocery store to get something healthy. I pull into a parking spot and shut off the truck. I stretch and we sit in the truck talking for a couple minutes before heading in. The next thing I know, through the gap above the equipment piled in back, I can see flashing lights behind us. To my surprise there's also a police officer standing next to my window. He taps on it with his flash light. Not knowing what on earth I could have done, I roll down the window and stammer "Uhhh, is this not a parking spot?" "No your fine," he says, "but we've recently had a brash of killings in the area and we still haven't found the killer. You shouldn't just be sitting here like this. Lots of people are getting shot in the head." "We were just going to get something to eat," I say, frightened at this point, "is it ok if we run in real quick and grab something before we take off?" "Yeah that would be fine," he says, "but hurry up."

That's when he notices the equipment in the back of the truck. After examining it through the window with his flashlight he tells me he needs to search it. I pop open the rear window and start unloading stuff. As I pull out a suitcase, the merch box falls and pops open, spilling money everywhere. The cop picks up a hundred dollar bill and looks at me. "I'm in a band," I sputter, "and my bass player and drummer were supposed to put that in the money bag." He silently puts the cash back down. After further examination he tells me it's ok to load everything back up and that I'm free to go. I do exactly that. I'm not staying in this town any longer.

Finally everything is loaded except for one last suitcase. I thank the officer and extend my hand to shake his. He stands their stiffly, looking at me through his aviator sunglasses. That's when I notice what's going on around me. The streets are completely empty, the grocery store isn't even open and the flashing lights that I thought were police lights are really coming from a tow truck in a parking lot behind us. I slowly look back at the police officer. He's no longer wearing his sun-glasses and has taken off his hat. He's staring at me with evil eyes, his hair is wildly messy in the wind. His grin is crooked and menacing. I slowly look towards the gun on his hip and his hand quickly moves to draw it from the holster. I grab my suitcase and thrust it in front of my face, hoping to deflect the bullet first and defend myself second. That's when the officer shoves the gun to my hip and pulls the trigger.

My life flashes before my eyes as I envision the bullet tearing through my flesh and shattering my hip bone. I'll never walk again I think to myself as I'm falling to the ground.

I wake up gasping from my dream. It had been a toy gun. I remember that much. When he had pulled the trigger it was only a toy gun. It had made the "bang" sound and I had really thought I was being shot, but I wasn't and the cop laughed.

My heart is racing. I try to fall back asleep but it's impossible. I decide to roll over and try again, but feel I should check the clock first.

It's 5:03 am. The exact time to get up for work. My alarm never went off. Typically it's set for 4:27 and I hit snooze until around 5:00, but that didn't happen cause it had never been set. I stumble out of bed and try to make sense of it all. It's not until several hours later, after I get to work on time, that I'm able to shake the panicked feeling. I still wonder if there's more to understand.

Justice has been served... Amen!!!

I just read the news and I couldn't be happier. According to cnn.com, the Westboro Baptist Church has finally gotten a small taste of what is coming to them. If you aren't aware of of who this group is, they're the ones who travel around and actually protest soldiers funerals with signs saying things like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God Hates Fags." Finally somebody sued them and won. Finally a lawsuit that I feel is well deserved. The settlement was for $11.9 million to be paid to the father of soldier who's funeral was protested. My only further hope is that many many others follow suit and put this group out of commission completely.

As much as I want to see swift and terrible revenge carried out upon these people, I know that this feeling is not right. Justice has been served and for that I am greatful. The only other judgement needed is that which they will incur when they leave this life. A judgement that can just as easily be reversed if between now and then they repent of their sins and truly ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior.

Even though they are hate mongers who shame and defile the name of Jesus, He loves each and every one of them as infinately as He loves me. He is just as willing to forgive them as He has forgiven me. In God's eyes, my sin is just as terrible as theirs.

It's not the easiest pill to swallow, but when digested you begin to understand why it was prescribed.

Josh

Tattoo have and to hold

Once again I've joined the ranks of the newly tattooed. It's funny, considering that all I've seen lately is how the popularity of tattoo removal is exploding. It's been about 6 years since my last tat, so if it's only a phase of mine, it's lasting a long time. I got my first one when I was 18 and I still don't regret it. Actually, it's become such a part of me that I hardly see it in the mirror anymore.

My dad actually forbade me to get a tattoo for many years, saying that he'd disown me if I did. Strangely enough, I was ok with that. My dad was cool enough to sign for me to pierce my ears, and he let me quit all the sports I was playing so that I could spend more time playing guitar (which is all I really cared about at the time). Besides, I didn't even really want or like them for a long time. As 18 crept closer though, and the idea of going to college was becoming a reality, the idea of a tattoo became more appealing. Finally I decided I wanted one and drew up my design. Then, because I was a respectful son, I sat my dad down to talk to him about it. Once again my dad surprised me with his support. It wasn't until several months later that I surprised him with the actual tattoo (the morning I was leaving for college, I guess I still believed he might murder me). We'll see what he thinks of my latest one considering it's my most daring to date, and nearly impossible to hide.

Since that day I've been back to the tattoo parlor 3 times for a total of 4 tattoos (6 depending on your definition of a single tattoo). I doubt the latest will be my last. I held off getting tattoos for a long time because I couldn't justify paying for a tattoo when I was having trouble paying rent and buying food. Any extra income went for amps and guitars.

I get tattoos because they stand as a marker in time. If I would have gotten one because everyone else was doing it, I would have regretted it a long time ago. The girl who got the butterfly on her lower back, or the guy who got the tribal arm band (that doesn't meet in the back) because everyone else was doing it, are the people who are getting them removed. Now that they're 30 and a little more saggy or no longer playing football, that tattoo means nothing. They realize as they look back at their high school pictures with the baggy jeans and flannel shirts that their "love" for the tattoo has faded, just like their love for the grunge look.

But then there's the 70 year old man who's got a wrinkly blue anchor on his forearm. He wears it as proudly as the day he got it, even though you can only make out the shape and none of the detail. He'd never think about having it removed because there's a story behind it that he'd love to tell you. "Got this in Okinawa back in 53' with my Navy buddies. I still get together with Topper and Scrugs about twice a year. Scrugs has grandkids. I never thought ol' Scrugs would find any woman that would keep him for more than a week. Stupid as a brick that Scrugs, but his grandkids are brilliant."

This is the kind of tattoo wearer I want to be and that's why I only get tattoos for memorable moments in my life; most recently my wedding (I'd be happy to tell you the story). For a vow that is supposed to last for life, what better memorabilia (at least in my opinion) than ink that will last for life. I guess the point can be made that less than 50% of marriages last these days, so why risk a tattoo. I'm convinced though, that the people getting divorced are the same people that are getting tattoos removed. If you can't commit to a small patch of colored skin that you decided at one point would last forever, how can you ever expect to commit to a living, breathing human who can hurt and fail you?

Unfortunately, divorces these days are easier than tattoo removal, but as for me and my household, we will have neither.

Do I think that everyone thinking about getting married should go out and get a tattoo? Not at all. But I think you can see the parallel.