PLAYLIST

Here is a list of songs I usually default to in my travels. They have become my playlist of sorts. I guarantee you will like them if you download them. If you don’t your taste in music is either just A. different than mine or B. sucks. I’m guessing B. But I hope you check them out. – DJ

1.) FM Radio – Joshua James
2.) Trapeze Swinger – Iron and Wine
3.) Lying is the most fun a girl can have with her clothes on – Panic at the Disco
4.) Mad World – Gary Jules
5.) Holiday in Spain – Counting Crows
6.) Nothing Lasts Forever – Maroon 5
7.) Get Over It -- OKGO
8.) Thank you for the Venom – My Chemical Romance
9.) Face Down – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
10.) Grand Theft Autumn – Fall Out Boy
11.) Whistle for the Choir – The Fratellis
12.) Invincible – Muse
13.) Frightened – Toby Lightman
14.) The Idea of You – Dave Matthews Band
15.) Stronger – Kanye West

Word.

Shame on you Samuel L.

Last night I was laying on the couch (shocker) and while flipping through the channels on my beautiful TV I came across a movie title I remember really wanting to see simply for the sheer ridiculiousness of it......Snakes on a Plane.

I don't want to belabour this so let me say that this was the dumbest movie I'd ever seen and felt hatred for myself while watching this poor excuse for a blockbuster.

To recap: a kid witnesses a mob boss kill someone and is taken by police officer Samuel L. Jackson to LA to testify against him. The mob boss in turn fills the plane they are on with violently aggressive poisionious snakes. Calamity ensues including multiple deaths (mile high couple in bathroom get it first) and some fleeting attempts at humor. They do land safely thanks to a guy who knew how to land a commercial airliner because he played video games a lot. Honestly.

I hate myself for watching this movie. And i'd recommend it to anyone.

-Jules Winnfield

pictures from aformentioned wedding.

Mr. and Mrs. Sara and Josh Z-Something

Last weekend my friend of roughly 8 years got married and I was fortunate enough to be defaulted into an invitation as the arm/eye candy date of the lovely Jessa. That sentence is pure shenanigans however we did go to a wedding and we did have a blast. Here is a synopsis of last weekend.

10:30pm Friday Night: My flight from Jacksonville lands, I get my bags and race home to get over to Dave's for his B-Day BBQ.

11:00pm-?: Flip Cup.........

8:00am Saturday: Wake Up

11:30am: Mindy calls running late and I go to pick up Jessa from Columbia.

12:30pm: I am ready, Jessa, Mindy, Parul and Erica are not

1:30pm: I call cab, girls still not ready

1:45pm: No cab, I decide to drive

1:55pm: We park and run to the church just before the ceremony commences. The ceremony was held at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Federal Hill.

2:00pm: Lovley Ceremony where Sara goes from Sara K to Sara Z in the eyes of god and friends and family.

2:00pm-4:00pm: I sweat profusley although looking like a million bucks you wouldn't know it. We make it to Rolling Road Golf/Country Club for the reception.

4:00pm-9:30pm: Great reception which included good food, open bar, a very violent thunder and lightning storm which cooled things off and the electric slide.

10:00pm: We get back to my house and change to go to Rafters for the after party.

10:30pm-2:45am: After party in a dive bar which played great music (old school Weezer) and had some interesting characters and finger food.

3:15am: Pass out after pizza from Hill Top. So bad for you.

Congratulations to Sara and Josh Z-something. Little known fact: I met Josh for the first time after their first date and for the second time at their wedding. I really appreciate being a part of this special day and have nothing but respect for them both.

-pastor (in a non-sac religious way) ts

ambivolence.

When you fly as much as I do you have plenty of time to sit and stare out the windows of airplanes. Recently I caught myself gazing out a fluffy white clouds as the tapestry of America unfolded beneath me and this reminded me of feelings of jealously I use to harbor toward a rather prevalent 80's street gang of sorts....the care bears.

You see it's not that they cared, we all should care about something. It's that they lived in the clouds and lied about shiftlessly until some kid got mad at his mother and needed a "life" lesson in caring. It's the sitting around in the clouds that I envied because, simply put, it looked comfortable. I know the reality and if I tried to nap in the clouds I would plummet to my death. You win again, Good Luck Bear.

-TS

Washington DC

After a 2 weeks off me and my brother got back to biking this past Saturday and decided on our nations capital as our destination. We got up around 7:00am and drove down parking close to the White House and set out to tour around the memorials and the national mall stopping frequently for pictures. Our trip took us from the Washington Monument to the new(er) World War II memorial which is very respectfully done. Down along the reflecting pool over to the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. We then proceeded over the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Cemetery which despite growing up 30 miles outside of DC, I’d never been too. It was a very awe-inspiring trip and helped put a lot of things into perspective for me.

After Arlington we biked to the Jefferson Memorial stopping briefly at the FDR Memorial which I didn’t know even existed. We then made it back to the mall and biked the length of it to the Capital Building which again I’d only been to a hand full of times. After some pictures we went around the back and visited the steps of the Supreme Court building located at the corner of Maryland and First Street.

After getting back to my car we loaded up and took Rhode Island Avenue out of the city and through College Park.

I’m guessing we went about 6-7 miles round trip. Next week we’ll be back to trail riding which is why we bought the ridiculously expensive bikes anyway.

Just a thought, if you haven’t been downtown in a while you should go. Its really nice to remember all the sacrifices that went into forming our freedoms which are seldom recognized and easily taken for granted.

Here are some pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/tomstover/BikingInWashingtonDC

wide open spaces...............

sorry about the big empty space below the Virgin Festival post....i'm trying to figure this blog thing out.....word. -ts

Virgin Festival 2007

It’s been a week since the concert even of my summer has passed. The strange thing is that even though there were 20 + bands except for the Beastie Boys and the Fratellis, I like, but I’m not a major fan of any of the artists that performed. That being said my expectations where low for this years Virgin Festival and it made for a great concert going experience.

The two day event was held at Baltimore’s Pimlico race track a blur of sweat and heat and loud music and high priced cheap beer and funnel cake and spicy pizza and crowd surfing minors etc…..Can’t wait for next year.

Day one I saw: Cheap Trick, The Fratellis, Incubus, Amy Winehouse, Beastie Boys, and the Police.

Day two I saw: Matisyahu, Spoon, Panic at the Disco, Wu-Tang Clan, Velvet Revolver and the Smashing Pumpkins.

In summary, Beastie Boys were my favorite, Matisyahu rocks a crowd harder than any other Jewish Reggae Rapper I know of, Wu-Tang Clan was mildly amusing, the Fratellis and Panic at the Disco are legit and seeing Sting and Slash in concert (not together) was amazing.

See you all next year.

-TS

look what the cat dragged in.....

After 21 years of rock and roll and probably a lot of drugs and countless groupies I can say that Brett Michael and CC Deville rock harder than most of the newer popular bands of today. Me and Holly went to see Poison in concert at Nissan Pavilion on recent Sunday night and after 2 bands one of which was a glam rock band from Sweden, Vains of Jenna (http://www.vainsofjenna.com/) and the second Ratt (tired rock band) went off stage I was ready to sing my lil’heart out to classics and Brett and the gang didn’t let me down one bit.

If you get the chance check them out live. Even though the concert rocked I knew that being Sunday I had to get up at 4:00am the next morning for my flight to Vegas. This made it hard to truly enjoy the concert. I guess Every Rose has its Thorn.

-TS