Special Guest Star

Awww, look how sweet The Autumn Film looks. Look at those smiles. They sure are nice. I like them. Even if on the inside they are thinking, "Mikalatos, let us go so we can drive home."









If I were in charge of the band they would never be allowed to smile. I want them to look like a lean, mean junkyard band.

The Autumn Film LIVE IN CONCERT

Last night we went to the Tonic Lounge in Portland to see the Autumn Film in concert. Here's the little banner that they hang on the front of Tifah's keyboard. I know you won't believe it, but she made this herself. It's true.



Here was the guy who played before them. His name is Levi Weaver. Apparently he recently opened for Imogen Heap, and the Autumn Film has actually seen him when they went to an Imogen Heap concert. The Film started geeking out when they saw they would be sharing a stage with Levi. He was great, actually. Solid, heartfelt lyrics and music that I'm not sure I know how to describe other than to say that I liked it a great deal. He played his guitar with a violin bow at times and various other things that have to be seen (and heard) to be understood. So if you get a chance to see him, be sure to swing by.




I took some pictures of the band when they were warming up. I am a lame picture taker. This is where you all are wishing that Krista had gone to the concert with me. Here's Dann smiling at his cymbals.



Reid contemplating his guitar.




Aubrea wrestling her violin.




Tifah laughing at something funny her microphone said.




Juli getting "down" with her bass.




Some fans you might know.




More fans you might know. I didn't get pictures of all the fans (like the Ryghs and my Very Own Parents and various others). This is because I am a lame picture taker.





Further evidence that I am a lame picture taker. This is a picture of Reid jamming on his guitar.

The last band to play was Boom Snake. Unfortunately, Boom Snake got on stage pretty late so it was pretty much five fans, Levi and the Autumn Film. Which in a lot of ways was more fun, maybe. We had a conversation going between the audience and the band, which was fun.

Anyway, Dad and I helped load up the Film's stuff and then wished them farewell and off they went for their 20ish hour drive home (at last). The gang is possibly coming through again this summer. I hope you'll come hang out, I think you'll enjoy them.

House of Rock

Here's Tifah, Reid and A playing piano yesterday. Reid tried to wander away after a while and A went to collect him again. She decided that they should have a band called, "Butterfly." Later we talked about making it two words, "Butter Fly."

Tifah made up a song for A about a girl named A who loved dancing and butterflies. Of course, A was in 7th heaven.

Z and A also decided to make a "kitty band" and pranced around the house singing in a meowing cat voice.

Underwater Tag

TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) has a cool little website where you can track the movements of the various sharks, turtles and seals they've tagged. On the left hand side you can choose areas or specific types of animals to track.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium recently tagged a baby Great White so they can more carefully track its movements. I say, tag 'em all! Then give me a GPS with a tracker thingee. Then I will decide whether to get into the water or not.

"I Spy" in Hell

This made me laugh out loud.

Black Thumb

The weather took a turn for the hotter today, which means... YARD WORK!

My lawn mower inexplicably snarled a defiant farewell and refused to cut grass after a few brief swaths across our yard. New gasoline, grass removal, the recuiting of my father, filter changes, spark plug replacements and repeated pulls on the starter cord were met by the mower's implacable will.

In the end I borrowed Dad's mower.

Then I killed weeds. We'll see in a few days how effective my withering looks and ill-wishes were in destroying those unwanted plants.

Concerning Skulls

Skulls #1. In San Francisco the woman who took my order for hot milk at the coffee shop yesterday had a skull on her nametag. I told her I liked her skull. This seemed to make her happy. I realized later that maybe she had forgotten about her nametag and she thought I was saying that I liked her actual skull.

Skulls #2. In San Francisco the man who took my order for hot milk at the coffee shop this morning had tattoos of skulls all up and down his arms. Some of the skulls had crab's legs, which made me think of the dead crab I saw in Moss Beach. Some had wings, which made me think that this guy really liked skulls. This skull-covered man was, perhaps, the nicest, most friendly coffee shop order taker guy I have ever seen. Which just goes to show you... no matter what, you're always stuck with those tattoos.

Skulls #3. In the bathroom at San Francisco State, someone had written "Skull Fox" in the grout above the urinal. I thought this was a funny nickname. At least, I had a good laugh about it. I realized that Skull Fox could never prove who he was, and that I could steal his name and write it wherever I wanted and people would think that I was Skull Fox. This would probably make him angry, and he might try to find me and fight me. But I think that Skull Fox is probably not going to be able to take me, because really it's a pretty silly, childish name, and he is clearly lacking maturity since he's still writing on bathroom walls. So I think that even if he is strong, I can quickly outwit him by running across a railroad track just before a train comes. And when the train disappears... I will be gone. And he will call me Skull Fox Ghost.

Signed,

Skull Fox

Concerning Books and Travel

I have an almost neurotic need to make sure I have enough books when I travel. Which means that I always have too many books with me, which I lug around in my backpack. When I'm packing I know I have too many books, but I can't help it. I want to have all the books along just in case I'm in the mood for one over the other.

Here's what I took with me to San Francisco:

1) The Bible. Pretty much a given here, folks, but thought I'd mention it. It is, after all, a book.

2) John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades. Basic plot: in the far flung future, humans fight every race of aliens they come across.

3) P.D. James' Death of An Expert Witness. Basic plot: Adam Dalgliesh solves a mystery. James consistently catches the truth of human nature in her mysteries, and she's an excellent writer, as well. I'm looking forward to reading this.

4) D.A. Carson's A Call to Spiritual Reformation. Carson uses the prayers of Paul to make conclusions about prayer and theology. I thought there were some valuable insights in this book, though I honestly disliked several of the later chapters. I had to read this for our seminary class, so it was homework, really.

5) Evelyn Underhill's Mystics of the Church. I snagged this from Carolyn's house. This book is basically a history course, taking you through the differnt mystic traditions within the Christian church. It's great reading, actually, and the introduction clearly expressed and described some things from my own experience that I felt encouraged to see others have also experienced in the past.

All in all, too many books for such a short trip. Now I have to go unpack them into the monstrous pile of books beside my bed....

Concerning Selfish First Class Passengers

Krista and I were upgraded into first class on our flight home today. Which has a few advantages, although on a short flight like ours it means you get to drink your ice water out of a glass instead of a plastic cup.

One of the things you'll notice if you ride in first class is that some of the passengers are big jerks. Often this is how they made enough money to ride in first class. Not all first class passengers are this way, of course. But SOMETIMES some mean old man might stand up when it's time to get off the plane and box you in so that you can't move and then put his arm out in front of your wife and block her way so that he can get off the plane before her. Because, you know, being the sixth person off the plane is not good enough for him. And then, as if to prove that he is a complete control-freak idiot he gets off the plane and then stops to tie his shoe and maybe you and your wife pass him.

I know you might find this sort of behavior intimidating, so I've included below a few tips for dealing with those nasty first class customers:

1) If you encounter an aggressive customer in seats 1A or 1B, stare him down, as these are the worst seats and the passenger is actually a "coach" passenger who has been upgraded. If they are in another seat, avoid their gaze at all costs.

2) In both cases, back away slowly; don't run.

3) If you stumble, run and climb a tree. The more aggressive first class passengers are too obese to climb trees.

4) If these tips don't seem to be working, try to stand still until they forget about you.

The Crab

I saw a crab yesterday. It was a good sized one, brightly colored, with large pincers and antennae that undulated in the tide. I stood on the rocks and watched it for a while, noticing the barnacles on its shell and the strange articulation of its arms and many legs. Clearly, the crab had been made with a precise purpose and was perfectly designed for the tidepool environment.

As I looked more closely I noticed that the barnacles were actually snails. Or maybe hermit crabs. Scavengers, certainly. I started to wonder if it was alive. I tossed a rock at it and thought that it moved a claw. I wandered around the rocks and collected pebbles and threw them, one at a time, to see what it would do. It didn't move. After a long look for a stick, I hunkered down near the water and grabbed its leg. Nothing. Then I tapped it on the carapace. No movement. It was dead.

I applied my heart to what I saw and learned a lesson from what I observed. In the spiritual life, there are people who appear to be alive, who look healthy and even do some things a healthy Christian would do. But if you watch them carefully there are small signs that give you cause for unease, and when you come close enough to touch them... they are dead.

Rock Bands

Krista and I are on the road today, taking a day to process our lives and ministry together at a bed and breakfast in California that we went to on our Honeymoon. I'm looking forward to the time with Krista. Tomorrow we'll meet up with our team in San Francisco... we're meeting with some of the SF staff and the regional team from Crusade in California to talk about ways we can partner together, specifically in San Francisco. I'm excited about that, too.

Meanwhile, the Rock Band called The Autumn Film is staying at our house. You know how rock bands are. Staying at our house while we're gone, too. No doubt they are sliding down the (very short) bannister and are lighting cigarettes in the bathroom and tearing out the grass in our front lawn. But we'll recuperate our losses by selling their pillowcases on ebay when they are famous.

U2 will be staying with us next week.

Toothpaste

I travel a lot, as you know. And now that you can only carry on 3 oz. of toothpaste, Colgate wants you to buy lots of little tubes of toothpaste.

Unless you can refill them yourself at home. Which is what I do. You are thinking, "Matt, that sounds cheap and unnecessary." To which I can only say, I am also cheap. And possibly unnecessary.

Here are some tips:

1) Despite your initial inclination, DO NOT blow into the little empty tube of toothpaste, thinking it will make it easier to get toothpaste into it. You will be able to "fill" the tube, but the air inside the tube will cause it to violently shoot out, like a volcano. I could explain to you why this happens, but I'm worried that you "don't have the math" to understand. Okay. I don't have the math either. Something about pressure and physics and such. Just trust me on this.

2) Push your tubes together.

3) SQUEEZE. I find that although I am a "flatten from the bottom" toothpaste user, that for this purpose, "Squish in the middle" works better.

4) DON'T try to fill your tube too full (i.e. as full as you would if you bought it new). This is a pointless exercise in frustration.

5) Screw the cap back on.

6) Remember that you can take more than one 3 oz. tube if you are a heavy toothpast user.

Feel free to write for more pointers if this isn't clear enough.

The Autumn Film is in town

The Autumn Film will be doing a few concerts here in the NW over the next week. This quote will give you an idea of their music:

“Like a post-collegiate Fiona Apple jamming with Snow Patrol, Al-Attas and her band serve up a violin-rich, piano-drenched sincerity topped off with a voice that’s wise and heartbroken beyond its years” (The Onion).

Here are the showdates and locations:

04/09/2008 09:00pm Seattle, WA The Comet Tavern
GABRIEL MINTZ, THE AUTUMN FILM, VELVET DRIVE, VENUS VERSE

922 E Pike Street
21+

04/12/2008 06:00pm Seattle, WA The High Dive Seattle 206.632.0212
Happy Hour
21+
$5
W/ Aurora

High Dive
513 N 36th
Seattle, WA 98103

04/13/2008 09:15pm Portland, OR The Tonic Lounge
3300 N E Sandy Blvd.
21+
Cost TBA

Spring Has Sprung

Dan wrote me today to make sure that I understood that Jon Foreman's Spring EP had been released. Apparently I was asleep at the wheel, enjoying the actual reality of spring, which means that around our house we see things like this:

So, once I recovered I went online and downloaded the album. I haven't really listened to the whole thing closely yet, so I can't give a good review, but I will say I'm pleased that "Your Love Is Strong" is on the EP. I first heard the song last summer at an acoustic Switchfoot concert. Jon said it was a sequel of sorts to the song "Let Your Love Be Strong" from the "Oh! Gravity" album. I like the instrumentation on the EP version of "Your Love Is Strong" and think it sounds great.

Anyway, I'll include more thoughts and let you know which songs are my favorite on the album when I get a chance. In the meantime, I've included the lyrics to both "Your Love Is Strong" and "Let Your Love Be Strong" below. Enjoy.

"Your Love Is Strong" Lyrics by Jon Foreman

Here are the lyrics to Jon Foreman's "Your Love Is Strong" from his Spring EP.

"Let Your Love Be Strong" lyrics by Switchfoot from "Oh! Gravity."

In this world of news
I've found nothing new
I've found nothing pure
Maybe I'm just idealistic
to assume that truth
Could be fact and form
That love could be a verb
Maybe I'm just a little misinformed.

As the dead moon rises, and the freeways sigh
Let the trains watch over the tides and the mist
Spinning circles in our skies tonight
Let the trucks roll in from Los Angeles
Maybe our stars are unanimously tired

Let your love be strong, and I don't care what goes down
Let your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder cloud
Fury and thunder clap like stealing the fire from your eyes
All of my world hanging on your love

Let the wars begin, let my strength wear thin
Let my fingers crack, let my world fall apart
Train the monkeys on my back to fight
Let it start tonight
When my world explodes, when my stars touch the ground
Falling down like broken satellites

Let your love be strong, and I don't care what goes down
Let your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder cloud
Fury and thunder clap like stealing the fire from your eyes
All that I am hanging on, all of my world resting on your love
tonight

Hope for a Broken World

As you no doubt remember, I spoke at our church last week while our pastor took a well-deserved break.

Here's a link to where you can download the talk or listen to it online.

And here's the link to our pastor's current series, which is on First Corinthians. I think you will like it.

Thanks to all of you in the BHR community who showed up to listen in person. I felt loved that you would take some time to come listen to me speak.

The Glue Society's Red Sea

The Glue Society made a fun series of "sattelite photos" of Biblical events, including this one of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. If you go to their site and look at their Miami show you can see the rest of them, including the Garden of Eden and Golgotha.

Red Light, Green Light

We're taking a little spring break breather in Anacortes, WA, at the Culbertson home. The day before yesterday, A and Z and I (that's me) played Red Light, Green light. It has lots of special rules.

Green Light: Go.

Red Light: Stop.

Yellow Light: Slow.

Purple Light: Go backwards.

Horse Light: trot like a horse.

Pig Light: Get on all fours and "pig around."

A would like to say, "You have to stay in one place and if you get purple light you have to go all the way to the start."

Feel free to play with your family and friends.

Found Poetry: Dinosaur Gift Shop

Fossilized remains found
In a notorious terrorist group.

No other gift will help
express your love
better!