public service announcements
"a preview of No Line on the Horizon"
Friday, February 20, 2009
U2.com posted the full
album preview of “No Line on the Horizon” today.
Rolling Stone also posted their 5 star review for it
today. i’m listening to it for the first time right
now!
check it out here!
check it out here!
|
"get on your boots!"
Monday, January 19, 2009
the new U2 single “get
on your boots” just premiered on U2.com at 12.15am.
i’ve kinda been waiting for this for a while and here’s what i think...
it’s definitely different... but i think i just might love it a lot!
it’s not quite the “Joshua Tree” to “Achtung Baby” jump... but it’s some new territory for sure.
check it out here!
i’ve kinda been waiting for this for a while and here’s what i think...
it’s definitely different... but i think i just might love it a lot!
it’s not quite the “Joshua Tree” to “Achtung Baby” jump... but it’s some new territory for sure.
check it out here!
"a new year... a new project"
Friday, January 02, 2009
happy new year!!!!
yes, it’s the second day of 2009 and yes, i’m still wondering where the crap my flying car is! (they* promised that we’d have them by now.)
anyway, i know it’s been forever since i’ve updated my blog. these past few months have been crazy busy and i had some issues with my web program so i gave up until things slowed down a bit.
no worries though... i’ve still been taking pictures almost every day and i’ll be bringing things up to speed over the next week or so. (life through the end of September can be seen in pictures now!)
last year, as you probably already know, was the year of the “Daily Picture.” i enjoyed that a lot and (while many found it annoying) it forced me to document life more thoroughly. i’m going to continue that this year, though perhaps not quite as thoroughly. however, i saw something online a few months ago that gave me an idea for what i’d be doing in 2009.
basically, this guy took a picture of himself every day for a long time and put it together into a video slideshow. it was like one of those flipbooks, but instead of seeing him moving or whatever, you could watch his hair grow and whatnot. i thought that was pretty cool. this year, i’ll be taking a picture of me every day. i’ll probably just use Photobooth here on my Mac. i don’t know what i’ll do with it at the end of the year (video or photobook or whatever) but i think it would be cool to see how a person changes day-to-day over the course of a year. (i wish i’d done it last year when i lost all that weight!)
okay... so that’s that.
later i’ll post again and sorta bring you up to speed on what’s been going on in my life over the past few months.
peace!
-barnes
* Michelle always wants to know who “they” are. “they” are “them.” the collective ominous bunch of people who make ridiculous predictions that don’t come true but get them started as rumors anyway. “they” can be anyone. “they” might even be you.**
** let me know if you are “they.” i have questions.
yes, it’s the second day of 2009 and yes, i’m still wondering where the crap my flying car is! (they* promised that we’d have them by now.)
anyway, i know it’s been forever since i’ve updated my blog. these past few months have been crazy busy and i had some issues with my web program so i gave up until things slowed down a bit.
no worries though... i’ve still been taking pictures almost every day and i’ll be bringing things up to speed over the next week or so. (life through the end of September can be seen in pictures now!)
last year, as you probably already know, was the year of the “Daily Picture.” i enjoyed that a lot and (while many found it annoying) it forced me to document life more thoroughly. i’m going to continue that this year, though perhaps not quite as thoroughly. however, i saw something online a few months ago that gave me an idea for what i’d be doing in 2009.
basically, this guy took a picture of himself every day for a long time and put it together into a video slideshow. it was like one of those flipbooks, but instead of seeing him moving or whatever, you could watch his hair grow and whatnot. i thought that was pretty cool. this year, i’ll be taking a picture of me every day. i’ll probably just use Photobooth here on my Mac. i don’t know what i’ll do with it at the end of the year (video or photobook or whatever) but i think it would be cool to see how a person changes day-to-day over the course of a year. (i wish i’d done it last year when i lost all that weight!)
okay... so that’s that.
later i’ll post again and sorta bring you up to speed on what’s been going on in my life over the past few months.
peace!
-barnes
* Michelle always wants to know who “they” are. “they” are “them.” the collective ominous bunch of people who make ridiculous predictions that don’t come true but get them started as rumors anyway. “they” can be anyone. “they” might even be you.**
** let me know if you are “they.” i have questions.
"site updates"
Friday, April 11, 2008
a few quick updates to
the site today...
- a new picture on the home page!
- some updated info in the random facts section
- the ROCKHARBOR family curriculum that i write/edit is now available in the downloads section. (the new april edition is up now.)
- new blog about my first day on sabbatical. i'm a little behind on the daily photos updates, but they're coming soon.
thanks for stoppin' by!
-barnes
- a new picture on the home page!
- some updated info in the random facts section
- the ROCKHARBOR family curriculum that i write/edit is now available in the downloads section. (the new april edition is up now.)
- new blog about my first day on sabbatical. i'm a little behind on the daily photos updates, but they're coming soon.
thanks for stoppin' by!
-barnes
"you too need to see it!"
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
holy crap on a
stick!*
i've been waiting for this day for over a year now. i heard about it. i read about it. i even saw pictures and clips. but nothing could do justice to describe how awesome U2 3D actually is
of course, you all know how big of a U2 fan i am. i've seen them live 8 times (once on the PopMart Tour, three times on the Elevation Tour and four times on the Vertigo Tour). i have all their music, bootlegs, dvds, rare cds and b-sides. so, one would think that, no matter what, i would absolutely love this. this may not be true.
i mean... i've seen them a lot. i've seen (and own) all the dvds and everything.
so, if there's
something new, it had better be pretty good.
honestly, there was a part of me that was worried
that i might not like this at all or might get bored
seeing something i've seen so many times. i couldn't
have been more wrong.
even if you're not a U2 fan, you need to see this movie. the use of 3D is AMAZING. it really redefines the movie entertainment experience. it's not over-the-top, in-your-face 3D like you'd probably expect. it's way more subtle than that most of the time. simply put, it feels like you've been given an all access pass to walk around stage, through the audience and into the amazing graphics during a U2 show. when Bono looks you straight in the eye and sings "Beautiful Day," you feel like he's literally standing right in front of you, making eye contact and singing to you.
when the crowd
jumps up and down and undulates like the sea, you
feel like you're right in the middle of it. when the
guy in the row in front of you pulls out a joint and
lights up, you can smell it. (oh wait... that might
just have been in our theater.**)
my only complaints are that they could have done more with the interactive graphics. during songs like "The Fly" and "Love and Peace," the graphics people do some pretty cool stuff to immerse you in the song. however, it seems like this could have been done a bit more for consistency and just because it's pretty freakin' cool. also, i wish they'd have done a few more songs. as it stands, it's slightly under an hour and a half. U2 shows generally run around two and a half hours. not that they should have done the entire setlist, but it would have been cool to see songs like "City of Blinding Lights" or "Mysterious Ways." however, these are minor quibbles in comparison with how amazing this thing really is.
this film will set a new standard for how movies will be made.
in fact, it
already is. the company who made it (3ality Digital)
has studied and perfected the 3D process. they've
eliminated the aspects of 3D that made you get
headaches or feel seasick before. it really is nearly
perfect. and, in the past few months, as people have
been experiencing this within the movie industry, the
studios have announced a large number of 3D films for
the next two years. so seriously, check it out. right
now, it's showing at IMAX theaters only. starting on
February 13th, you can see it in regular theaters as
well. oh... and if you do go and see it, make sure to
stay through the credits for one last song and an
amazing 3D graphics display.
check out www.u23dmovie.com for more info and online ticket buying too.
-barnes
* this quote stolen from my old friend, Tracy Cynaumon who now has some other last name that i can't quite remember right now.
** seriously. he lit up right there in the movie theater.
i've been waiting for this day for over a year now. i heard about it. i read about it. i even saw pictures and clips. but nothing could do justice to describe how awesome U2 3D actually is
of course, you all know how big of a U2 fan i am. i've seen them live 8 times (once on the PopMart Tour, three times on the Elevation Tour and four times on the Vertigo Tour). i have all their music, bootlegs, dvds, rare cds and b-sides. so, one would think that, no matter what, i would absolutely love this. this may not be true.
i mean... i've seen them a lot. i've seen (and own) all the dvds and everything.
even if you're not a U2 fan, you need to see this movie. the use of 3D is AMAZING. it really redefines the movie entertainment experience. it's not over-the-top, in-your-face 3D like you'd probably expect. it's way more subtle than that most of the time. simply put, it feels like you've been given an all access pass to walk around stage, through the audience and into the amazing graphics during a U2 show. when Bono looks you straight in the eye and sings "Beautiful Day," you feel like he's literally standing right in front of you, making eye contact and singing to you.
my only complaints are that they could have done more with the interactive graphics. during songs like "The Fly" and "Love and Peace," the graphics people do some pretty cool stuff to immerse you in the song. however, it seems like this could have been done a bit more for consistency and just because it's pretty freakin' cool. also, i wish they'd have done a few more songs. as it stands, it's slightly under an hour and a half. U2 shows generally run around two and a half hours. not that they should have done the entire setlist, but it would have been cool to see songs like "City of Blinding Lights" or "Mysterious Ways." however, these are minor quibbles in comparison with how amazing this thing really is.
this film will set a new standard for how movies will be made.
check out www.u23dmovie.com for more info and online ticket buying too.
-barnes
* this quote stolen from my old friend, Tracy Cynaumon who now has some other last name that i can't quite remember right now.
** seriously. he lit up right there in the movie theater.
"a new project"
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
so, last night, some of
us went out to French 75 for dinner and we were
talking about life and stuff. my good friend, Ashley
Otani, mentioned that she had a new camera and that
her New Year's Resolution was to take more
pictures.
this got us
talking about taking pictures and recording our lives
when we came up with a fantastic idea. what if each
of us were to take at least one picture every day?
what if we could look back at a year and have a
picture to represent every day of that year? how cool
would that be?
so that's what i'm gonna try to do!
a picture every
day. and i'm going to post them here. some days, you
might just get a picture with a caption. other days,
it might be a whole blog. just depends. i'm going to
start with a picture from last night of us at the
dinner table since that's where this whole things
started. here's looking forward to a whole year of
pictures!
- barnes
so that's what i'm gonna try to do!
- barnes
"Sydney Bristow is still amazing"
Saturday, January 05, 2008
in another life, when i
was a teacher, there was a show that began during the
first month of my first year in that profession. it
was called "Alias." this was the first show i watched
from the first episode to the last. it was like a
mini-movie every week.
it had action and
adventure, romance and sci-fi, conspiracy and drama.
plus, it introduced the world to Jennifer Garner. it
was amazing. it aired on Sunday nights and the
discussions in my classes on Monday morning would,
inevitably, center on the happenings of "Alias" from
the previous evening.
was Sydney going to get caught? did Sloane know that Syd and Jack were double agents for the CIA? was Irina really good or really evil? are Syd and Vaughn ever gonna hook up? what's the deal with Rambaldi? where was Sydney during those lost two years?
these were just some of the MANY questions that this show left us asking over the first two seasons alone. it was like nothing television had seen before. yes... over the seasons, it lost its way a few times. but... even at its worst, it was more enjoyable than most of the stuff being produced.
anyway, the reason i bring all this up is that Stacy and i recently decided to rewatch "Alias."
and you know
what? it's just as good the second time! and it's so
cool to see now, because this is the show that set up
the successes of shows like "Lost" and "Heroes." it
was the first show (at least, that i watched)
thatmade every week a cliff-hanger and had an
over-arching plot that ran the course of the series.
(it's also kinda cool to see where shows like "Lost"
and "Heroes" clearly learned from the mistakes made
by "Alias.") all this to say, "Alias" (and Sydney
Bristow) kick ass and if you haven't watched the show
before, do yourself a favor and get the DVDs. (or
borrow mine.) you won't regret it.
-barnes
was Sydney going to get caught? did Sloane know that Syd and Jack were double agents for the CIA? was Irina really good or really evil? are Syd and Vaughn ever gonna hook up? what's the deal with Rambaldi? where was Sydney during those lost two years?
these were just some of the MANY questions that this show left us asking over the first two seasons alone. it was like nothing television had seen before. yes... over the seasons, it lost its way a few times. but... even at its worst, it was more enjoyable than most of the stuff being produced.
anyway, the reason i bring all this up is that Stacy and i recently decided to rewatch "Alias."
-barnes
"a short blog with some news"
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
"a time to pray"
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Malibu Pres is gone. if you're one who prays, please pray for those people and for the safety of Pepperdine and its students.
thanks.
matt
"new clips"
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
i’ve been working as a
consultant with the hispanic church Amigos de Cristo
on their new vision called “Prueba y Ve” (“Taste and
See”).
part of that has
included putting together some teasers for the launch
in July. the first two teasers have been posted in
the “clips” section. (it will help if you can read
spanish!) :-)
"arrrggghh!"
Monday, March 19, 2007
"a few of my favorite things"
Saturday, January 20, 2007
so, if you know me you
know that some of my favorite things are as follows:
U2, Steak, Mountain Dew, Pizza, Scrubs, Movies, Musical Theatre, anything Apple, Sci-Fi, The Office and Sleep
obviously, those are just SOME of my favorite things. and yes, i can deal with the fact that some of those loves immediately qualify me as a dork (or geek... not sure which). recently, two of my favorite things listed above were combined into one 1/2 hour of awesomeness. two words:
SCRUBS MUSICAL
i've been waiting for this for a long time and for once, something actually lived up to all the hype. if you didn't see it the other night, do yourself a huge favor and download it on iTunes ASAP. it was freakin' amazing. they got the guys who did Avenue Q (the funniest musical on Broadway right now) to write most of the music and it was fantastic. (a clip from "Guy Love," the JD and Turk ode to heterosexual love between males, is posted on my myspace.) anyway, it was fantastic.
download now.
go.
seriously.
i'm not kidding.
--matt
U2, Steak, Mountain Dew, Pizza, Scrubs, Movies, Musical Theatre, anything Apple, Sci-Fi, The Office and Sleep
obviously, those are just SOME of my favorite things. and yes, i can deal with the fact that some of those loves immediately qualify me as a dork (or geek... not sure which). recently, two of my favorite things listed above were combined into one 1/2 hour of awesomeness. two words:
SCRUBS MUSICAL
i've been waiting for this for a long time and for once, something actually lived up to all the hype. if you didn't see it the other night, do yourself a huge favor and download it on iTunes ASAP. it was freakin' amazing. they got the guys who did Avenue Q (the funniest musical on Broadway right now) to write most of the music and it was fantastic. (a clip from "Guy Love," the JD and Turk ode to heterosexual love between males, is posted on my myspace.) anyway, it was fantastic.
download now.
go.
seriously.
i'm not kidding.
--matt
"my résumé"
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
"where everybody knows your name"
Friday, August 04, 2006
myspace is like the new
Cheers. just a random thought.
anyway, what i really wanted to say was that when i renewed the website for my company, FIGURE, Inc., they gave me a free new domain name. so... now i have my own website with all kinds of random matt crap that you probably won't care about at all. but, as long as it's there, i might as well let people know so if they're bored they can take a look. the address is www.matthewbarnes.net (hard to remember... i know.) check it out. or don't.
peace
anyway, what i really wanted to say was that when i renewed the website for my company, FIGURE, Inc., they gave me a free new domain name. so... now i have my own website with all kinds of random matt crap that you probably won't care about at all. but, as long as it's there, i might as well let people know so if they're bored they can take a look. the address is www.matthewbarnes.net (hard to remember... i know.) check it out. or don't.
peace
"me website nuevo"
Friday, July 21, 2006
yes, friends... i have
my very own site now. (i renewed the figureonline
site and they offered me a free domain name!)
however, i’d be shocked if anyone actually looked at
it. in fact, i’d be shocked if anyone was even
reading this. (who am i talking to then? hmmm.)
anyway... there’s a whole buttload of crap on this site that you can check out. first, you have the “home” page. (that’s fancy internet lingo for the first page of the site. hope I cleared that up for ya.) it just has a picture of the back of my head and a little welcome note. nothing too exciting.
then, there’s the “who” page. it was supposed to be the “who?” page (with the question mark), but apparently you can’t put a question mark in the file name. and since I’m using iWeb to do all of this, one doesn’t have much control over how the site works. anyway, the “who” page is pretty much about who I am. (random facts... résumé... values... etc...)
after the “who” page comes the “clips” page. pretty much these are either video clips i’ve shot, edited or stolen from the internet. i’ll leave you to decide which is which. (although, once again, who is “you” if nobody is reading this?)
next it’s the “blogs” page. ummm... pretty much that’s what you’re reading right now (if in fact “you” are.) so, if you don’t understand what might be found in that section, you are probably technically an idiot and should be pointed and laughed at.
“rants and raves” is a section where i rant and rave about whatever the crap i feel like ranting and raving about. if anyone gives me crap about it, my next rant and/or rave will maybe involve the 1st amendment.
“leadership links and resources” is pretty much exactly what it says it is. i’m going to be adding to it soon, but right now it’s just a bunch of links to internet resources on leadership. soon, it will also host all of the content (handouts, etc...) from leadership sessions i’ve lead/written/put people to sleep with over the years.
finally, the “connect” section. i’m a people person, dammit. i like to connect with people. sorry about the swearing there, but i have a strong belief that you can add the word “dammit” to the end of almost any statement and make it exponentially funnier and/or more intense. (see pretty much any Charlton Heston movie ever made for more examples. okay... i’m really not sorry about the swearing.)
that brings us to the conclusion of our in-flight instructions. if you don’t like something about the site, please feel free to find someone who cares and tell them. if you do like something about the site, tell me because my ego clearly needs a bigger boost.
PEACE!
ps... that’s Strongbad up there in the picture looking at his sweet old compy. (he has since destroyed compy and now has lappy.) anyway, check him out over at www.homestarrunner.com he’s pretty much awesome and i find that we have much in common. (except of course that he constantly wears a mexican wrestling mask and boxing gloves. yes... even to bed. and no, we don’t know how he types with the gloves on. and don’t ask. he gets pissy about that.)
anyway... there’s a whole buttload of crap on this site that you can check out. first, you have the “home” page. (that’s fancy internet lingo for the first page of the site. hope I cleared that up for ya.) it just has a picture of the back of my head and a little welcome note. nothing too exciting.
then, there’s the “who” page. it was supposed to be the “who?” page (with the question mark), but apparently you can’t put a question mark in the file name. and since I’m using iWeb to do all of this, one doesn’t have much control over how the site works. anyway, the “who” page is pretty much about who I am. (random facts... résumé... values... etc...)
after the “who” page comes the “clips” page. pretty much these are either video clips i’ve shot, edited or stolen from the internet. i’ll leave you to decide which is which. (although, once again, who is “you” if nobody is reading this?)
next it’s the “blogs” page. ummm... pretty much that’s what you’re reading right now (if in fact “you” are.) so, if you don’t understand what might be found in that section, you are probably technically an idiot and should be pointed and laughed at.
“rants and raves” is a section where i rant and rave about whatever the crap i feel like ranting and raving about. if anyone gives me crap about it, my next rant and/or rave will maybe involve the 1st amendment.
“leadership links and resources” is pretty much exactly what it says it is. i’m going to be adding to it soon, but right now it’s just a bunch of links to internet resources on leadership. soon, it will also host all of the content (handouts, etc...) from leadership sessions i’ve lead/written/put people to sleep with over the years.
finally, the “connect” section. i’m a people person, dammit. i like to connect with people. sorry about the swearing there, but i have a strong belief that you can add the word “dammit” to the end of almost any statement and make it exponentially funnier and/or more intense. (see pretty much any Charlton Heston movie ever made for more examples. okay... i’m really not sorry about the swearing.)
that brings us to the conclusion of our in-flight instructions. if you don’t like something about the site, please feel free to find someone who cares and tell them. if you do like something about the site, tell me because my ego clearly needs a bigger boost.
PEACE!
ps... that’s Strongbad up there in the picture looking at his sweet old compy. (he has since destroyed compy and now has lappy.) anyway, check him out over at www.homestarrunner.com he’s pretty much awesome and i find that we have much in common. (except of course that he constantly wears a mexican wrestling mask and boxing gloves. yes... even to bed. and no, we don’t know how he types with the gloves on. and don’t ask. he gets pissy about that.)
"public service announcement (aka- six months of hell)"
Friday, June 02, 2006
this is a public
service announcement...
today, i begin on a journey that promises to be the most difficult journey of all. i'm attempting something that nobody seems to think is possible. (even i'm quite skeptical.) it's true that i could attempt this feat, and horribly fail very quickly. but this is a challenge i must face. what is it that i am attempting?
as of last night, June 1st, 2006 at 8:00pm, i have given up Mountain Dew.
(i'll give a moment for the shock to wear in.)
actually, not just Mountain Dew, but all soda. i've decided that i need to try to live a little healthier. also, i've been addicted to Mountain Dew since the 7th grade. i averaged it out the other day and found that i've consumed somewhere around 16,000 cans of Mountain Dew over the past 15 years. that's a lot of money. so, i'm giving up soda on a trial basis for six months. now, i know what you're thinking.... "he'll never make it." i know you're thinking this because many of you have told me this and because, really, i'm thinking it too. but i have to try.
so, last night at 7:58pm, i had my last Mountain Dew. (it was SO good!) anyway, i simply ask for your support during this challenging time in my life. i tell you all of this mostly to warn you... if you see me and i'm acting oddly, just assume it's to do with the withdrawl symptoms. if i'm easily annoyed, lacking in patience or just being a pain in the butt, please understand... i've just said goodbye to one of my best friends and closest companions for the past 15 years.
this concludes this public service announcement. thank you.
today, i begin on a journey that promises to be the most difficult journey of all. i'm attempting something that nobody seems to think is possible. (even i'm quite skeptical.) it's true that i could attempt this feat, and horribly fail very quickly. but this is a challenge i must face. what is it that i am attempting?
as of last night, June 1st, 2006 at 8:00pm, i have given up Mountain Dew.
(i'll give a moment for the shock to wear in.)
actually, not just Mountain Dew, but all soda. i've decided that i need to try to live a little healthier. also, i've been addicted to Mountain Dew since the 7th grade. i averaged it out the other day and found that i've consumed somewhere around 16,000 cans of Mountain Dew over the past 15 years. that's a lot of money. so, i'm giving up soda on a trial basis for six months. now, i know what you're thinking.... "he'll never make it." i know you're thinking this because many of you have told me this and because, really, i'm thinking it too. but i have to try.
so, last night at 7:58pm, i had my last Mountain Dew. (it was SO good!) anyway, i simply ask for your support during this challenging time in my life. i tell you all of this mostly to warn you... if you see me and i'm acting oddly, just assume it's to do with the withdrawl symptoms. if i'm easily annoyed, lacking in patience or just being a pain in the butt, please understand... i've just said goodbye to one of my best friends and closest companions for the past 15 years.
this concludes this public service announcement. thank you.
"yes they did!"
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
it should also be mentioned (or Megan might hurt me) that Kelly Clarkson won two awards beating out some bigtime competition like Gwen Stefani and Paul McCartney. she's awesome too so that's cool.
"HOLY FREAKIN' HUNGRY!"
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
dear friends...
today is the last day of something i challenged myself to do two weeks ago. for the past two weeks, i have been on an all-juice diet/cleanse/fast/detox thing.
(that's the
official terminology.) yeah... it's true. i haven't
eaten anything in two weeks! now, i tell you this not
to brag or gloat (though i am quite impressed with
myself right now) but to warn you.
yes... it's a great excersise in discipline. and yes... i have lost around 15 pounds. and it's true that there's something spiritual about it that seems to kinda help clarify a bunch of stuff. but there are some definite problems with this concept.
1. fresh squeezed juice gets old!!! i mean, really. there are only so many combinations of apple, grape, orange, pineapple, pear (which is the best, by the way), rasberry, tangerine and strawberry juices that you can try. and, after a while, they really all start tasting very similiar. (although, with my very own juicer, i feel like that guy on the infomercials in the middle of the night who clearly should be dead of old age but is still juicing his way to the ripe old age of like 140. maybe i could live forever. hmmm.)
2. even though the first two days are hell on your stomach and your psyche, the rest of it is mostly psychological. but sometimes you feel like you're going crazy! ("i feel like i'm on crazy pills!!!") you probably know how much i love my food. (if you don't, well... first you don't know me. and second, the answer is... a whole-freaking-lot!) yeah... well, it was pretty much on my mind a lot of the time because i just missed the taste. tasting things is wonderful and taken for granted. people always ask whether you'd rather be blind or deaf. i'm glad that tasteless isn't an option. and now i think i understand the cravings of pregnant women. i was craving the most random stuff at the most random times. (one minute i want pizza, the next it was sushi and the next it was the gnocci with the tomato cream sauce from Grazzianos.)
3. finally, and here's the bummer i'm dealing with currently, you can't just have the meal you've been dreaming of for two weeks when the thing's over. apparently, it takes several days to slowly come off your fast before you can eat normal foods. otherwise you get real sick. (last night i dreamed the i forgot and ended the whole thing with a big steak dinner and just as i finished, i realized what i had done. luckily, i woke up before i found out about the getting sick part.)
so, i went from posting a recipe for the most amazing sandwich you'll ever have to not eating for two weeks. i don't know what's wrong with me. (i went from frying everything to juicing everything. not as fun, i gotta tell ya!) i'll probably do it again sometime. it is supposed to be very cleansing for your system and, i have to say, i do feel healthier. anyway, i think that next time i'll do it for like a week instead. anyone wanna join me? :-)
today is the last day of something i challenged myself to do two weeks ago. for the past two weeks, i have been on an all-juice diet/cleanse/fast/detox thing.
yes... it's a great excersise in discipline. and yes... i have lost around 15 pounds. and it's true that there's something spiritual about it that seems to kinda help clarify a bunch of stuff. but there are some definite problems with this concept.
1. fresh squeezed juice gets old!!! i mean, really. there are only so many combinations of apple, grape, orange, pineapple, pear (which is the best, by the way), rasberry, tangerine and strawberry juices that you can try. and, after a while, they really all start tasting very similiar. (although, with my very own juicer, i feel like that guy on the infomercials in the middle of the night who clearly should be dead of old age but is still juicing his way to the ripe old age of like 140. maybe i could live forever. hmmm.)
2. even though the first two days are hell on your stomach and your psyche, the rest of it is mostly psychological. but sometimes you feel like you're going crazy! ("i feel like i'm on crazy pills!!!") you probably know how much i love my food. (if you don't, well... first you don't know me. and second, the answer is... a whole-freaking-lot!) yeah... well, it was pretty much on my mind a lot of the time because i just missed the taste. tasting things is wonderful and taken for granted. people always ask whether you'd rather be blind or deaf. i'm glad that tasteless isn't an option. and now i think i understand the cravings of pregnant women. i was craving the most random stuff at the most random times. (one minute i want pizza, the next it was sushi and the next it was the gnocci with the tomato cream sauce from Grazzianos.)
3. finally, and here's the bummer i'm dealing with currently, you can't just have the meal you've been dreaming of for two weeks when the thing's over. apparently, it takes several days to slowly come off your fast before you can eat normal foods. otherwise you get real sick. (last night i dreamed the i forgot and ended the whole thing with a big steak dinner and just as i finished, i realized what i had done. luckily, i woke up before i found out about the getting sick part.)
so, i went from posting a recipe for the most amazing sandwich you'll ever have to not eating for two weeks. i don't know what's wrong with me. (i went from frying everything to juicing everything. not as fun, i gotta tell ya!) i'll probably do it again sometime. it is supposed to be very cleansing for your system and, i have to say, i do feel healthier. anyway, i think that next time i'll do it for like a week instead. anyone wanna join me? :-)
"the recipe"
Friday, January 20, 2006
okay... after my "let's
fry everything" blog... several of you have asked for
the recipe for Monte Cristos. they're really easy to
make and take very little time. here you go...
this is for making 4 sandwiches:
1 egg
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices of egg bread (challah works well) sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 slices of ham
4 slices of turkey
4 slices of swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
powdered sugar
blackberry preserves (optional)
ice cold Mountain Dew*
to make the batter:
- whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl.
- add the flour, salt and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- continue to whisk until smooth (20 minutes recommended)
- on one slice of bread, arrange a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese and put the other slice of bread on top (umm... i think it's called making a sandwich)
- cut the sandwich in half diagonally
- heat the oil in the pan to between 365 and 375 degrees (don't let it get hotter than this)
- dip half of the sandwich in the batter allowing the excess to drain
- place the sandwich half in the oil
- cook for three minutes on each side
- place on a cookie sheet covered in paper towels in a warm oven until ready to serve
- sprinkle sandwiches lightly with powdered sugar (sounds weird, but makes a huge difference!) and serve with blackberry preserves on the side (i think this is gross).
- wash down with ice cold Mountain Dew*
* Barnes addition
this is for making 4 sandwiches:
1 egg
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices of egg bread (challah works well) sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 slices of ham
4 slices of turkey
4 slices of swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
powdered sugar
blackberry preserves (optional)
ice cold Mountain Dew*
to make the batter:
- whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl.
- add the flour, salt and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- continue to whisk until smooth (20 minutes recommended)
- on one slice of bread, arrange a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese and put the other slice of bread on top (umm... i think it's called making a sandwich)
- cut the sandwich in half diagonally
- heat the oil in the pan to between 365 and 375 degrees (don't let it get hotter than this)
- dip half of the sandwich in the batter allowing the excess to drain
- place the sandwich half in the oil
- cook for three minutes on each side
- place on a cookie sheet covered in paper towels in a warm oven until ready to serve
- sprinkle sandwiches lightly with powdered sugar (sounds weird, but makes a huge difference!) and serve with blackberry preserves on the side (i think this is gross).
- wash down with ice cold Mountain Dew*
* Barnes addition
"i can't get to sleep..."
Monday, January 16, 2006
"i can't get to sleep..."
by the way... just wanted to throw this out there....
if you get a chance... check out this song. it's called "Overkill" and it's by a guy named Colin Hay. he was the lead singer for that 80's band, Men at Work and it's actually a remake (much better) of one of their songs. anyway, they used the song in an episode of Scrubs (one of the best shows on TV, by the way) and it's stuck with me ever since. i got it off of iTunes. it's just an acoustic guitar song, but it's one of those songs that i think pretty much everyone can relate to at one point or another. check it out if you want.
i can't get to sleep...
i think about the implications
of diving in too deep...
and possibly the complications.
especially at night...
i worry over situations
i know will be alright...
perhaps it's just imagination.
day after day it reappears
night after night my heartbeat shows the fears
ghost appear and fade away
alone between the sheets...
it only brings exasperation.
it's time to walk the streets...
smell the desperation.
at least there's pretty lights...
although there's little variation.
it nulifies the night from overkill.
day after day it reappears.
night after night my heartbeat shows the fears.
ghosts appear and fade away...
come back another day.
i can't get to sleep...
i think about the implications
of diving in too deep...
and possibly the complications
especially at night...
i worry over situations that
i know will be alright...
it's just overkill.
day after day it reappears.
night after night my heartbeat shows the fears.
ghosts appear and fade away.
ghosts appear and fade away.
"FOOLED YOU!"
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
ya know how some movie
trailers can be really deceiving? you go and see the
movie and it's nothing like what the trailer made it
look like? this is the perfect example of how some
good editing can totally pull one over on the
audience.... plus, if you've seen the movie (and if
you haven't you should be shot), it's really funny.
http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov
http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov
"oh... dumb surveys"
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
i just knew you all
wanted to know this stuff about me...
1. Legal First name? matthew
2. Were you named after anyone? no.. but it means "gift from God" or something which is, clearly, very true.
3. Do you wish on stars? i don't think so... but i like to look at them. and, according to "matthew m. barnes' rules for life, vol. 1"... when you see a shooting star, you get to make out with someone.
4. When did you last cry? well, actually it was when... i mean... umm... i'm a man. i don't cry! pssh.
5.what happened to question .. 5? i'm a little confused about this. gonna have to get back to you on that one!
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? me loves da ham. mmmm!
7. What is your birth date? September 09, 1978... if you missed it, it's not too late to send one of those "ooops! i'm a retard and forgot your birthday!" cards with some cash in it to make me feel better.
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? i dont' know. probably like some musical.
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?? well, since sometimes i am another person and that person is most certainly friends with me, i suppose the answer would have to be "yes."
10. Do you have a journal? not in a while.
11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? what do you think?
12. What are your nicknames? matt, barnes, barnsey (not a fan), mattbarnes (i swear there's a small contingent of people out there that think it's all my first name), mateo, MB, jackass (thanks dad!), little shit (thanks mom!), "hey you!" (thanks all the people who i've made such an impression on that you can't even remember my freakin' name!)
13. Would you bungee jump? in May of 1999, i did the highest bungee jump in the world in interloken, switzerland. it was cool.
14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? rainbows are hard to untie. trust me... i've tried.
15. Do you think that you are strong? no... but i'll sit on you if you're mean.
16. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?? Peanut Butter Passion... it's the Ralph's Brand and it's pretty much the most amazing thing to enter my mouth ever.
17. Shoe Size? 12
18. Red or pink? red
19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? i can sometimes be lazy.
21. Do you want everyone you send this to, to fill it out? why not?
22. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? blue jeans with holes in them and no shoes.
23. What are you listening to right now? the sound of the fan in this room and my fingers tap on the keys as i type these very words.
25. If you were a crayon, what color? why would i be a crayon? (last night on The West Wing, i learned that if you don't like a question, you simply reject the premise of that question.)
26. What is the weather like right now? it looks nice out but according to accuweather.com (which shows up on my dashboard), there's gonna be thunderstorms tonight.
27. Last person you talked to on the phone? megan.
28. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes/hair/lips
29. Do you like the person who sent this to you? the crazy receptionist at my dad's office? Sofia's the coolest chick around. (and if you're smart, you'll say the same or she'll unleash her evil twin, Jacki on you!)
30. Favorite Drink? i have often been quoted as saying... "if Jesus were a soft drink, He'd be Mountain Dew."
32. Hair Color? Brown... and gray. crap. i'm old.
34. Do you wear contacts? i don't think so.
35. Favorite Food? i'm thinking Italian. they eat great beef and amazing pastas altogether. you really can't go wrong.
36. Last Movie You Watched? crash... but i need to watch it again because i put it in on my laptop on the way to Amsterdam right after i'd taken a sleeping pill and don't remember much of it.
37. Favorite Day Of The Year? i don't know. days are just days. how can you really have a favorite? if you pick one that is supposed to be your favorite, you're just setting yourself up for a letdown. in my book, all days suck until they prove themselves otherwise.
38. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? how about scary movies with happy endings?
39. Summer Or Winter? i love all of my seasons equally and there's no way you can make me choose.
40. Hugs OR Kisses? definitely both. often at the same time.
41. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? cake... i love cake. mmmm.
42. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? i don't really care.
43. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? please see number 42.
44. Living Arrangements?? i've got a house with a youth pastor roommate who sleeps in a little white bed and a ironman running roommate who sleeps on the floor and works for a toy company. i like to keep it interesting.
45. What Books Are You Reading? "matthew m. barnes' rules for life, vol. 3"
46. What's On Your Mouse Pad? i don't have one of those. except in my office where it's the cover of "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" by u2.
47. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? The West Wing.
48. Favorite Smells? good food and hot chicks
49. Favorite junk food: cake
50. What's the farthest you've been from home? Hydrabad, India
1. Legal First name? matthew
2. Were you named after anyone? no.. but it means "gift from God" or something which is, clearly, very true.
3. Do you wish on stars? i don't think so... but i like to look at them. and, according to "matthew m. barnes' rules for life, vol. 1"... when you see a shooting star, you get to make out with someone.
4. When did you last cry? well, actually it was when... i mean... umm... i'm a man. i don't cry! pssh.
5.what happened to question .. 5? i'm a little confused about this. gonna have to get back to you on that one!
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? me loves da ham. mmmm!
7. What is your birth date? September 09, 1978... if you missed it, it's not too late to send one of those "ooops! i'm a retard and forgot your birthday!" cards with some cash in it to make me feel better.
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? i dont' know. probably like some musical.
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?? well, since sometimes i am another person and that person is most certainly friends with me, i suppose the answer would have to be "yes."
10. Do you have a journal? not in a while.
11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? what do you think?
12. What are your nicknames? matt, barnes, barnsey (not a fan), mattbarnes (i swear there's a small contingent of people out there that think it's all my first name), mateo, MB, jackass (thanks dad!), little shit (thanks mom!), "hey you!" (thanks all the people who i've made such an impression on that you can't even remember my freakin' name!)
13. Would you bungee jump? in May of 1999, i did the highest bungee jump in the world in interloken, switzerland. it was cool.
14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? rainbows are hard to untie. trust me... i've tried.
15. Do you think that you are strong? no... but i'll sit on you if you're mean.
16. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?? Peanut Butter Passion... it's the Ralph's Brand and it's pretty much the most amazing thing to enter my mouth ever.
17. Shoe Size? 12
18. Red or pink? red
19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? i can sometimes be lazy.
21. Do you want everyone you send this to, to fill it out? why not?
22. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? blue jeans with holes in them and no shoes.
23. What are you listening to right now? the sound of the fan in this room and my fingers tap on the keys as i type these very words.
25. If you were a crayon, what color? why would i be a crayon? (last night on The West Wing, i learned that if you don't like a question, you simply reject the premise of that question.)
26. What is the weather like right now? it looks nice out but according to accuweather.com (which shows up on my dashboard), there's gonna be thunderstorms tonight.
27. Last person you talked to on the phone? megan.
28. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes/hair/lips
29. Do you like the person who sent this to you? the crazy receptionist at my dad's office? Sofia's the coolest chick around. (and if you're smart, you'll say the same or she'll unleash her evil twin, Jacki on you!)
30. Favorite Drink? i have often been quoted as saying... "if Jesus were a soft drink, He'd be Mountain Dew."
32. Hair Color? Brown... and gray. crap. i'm old.
34. Do you wear contacts? i don't think so.
35. Favorite Food? i'm thinking Italian. they eat great beef and amazing pastas altogether. you really can't go wrong.
36. Last Movie You Watched? crash... but i need to watch it again because i put it in on my laptop on the way to Amsterdam right after i'd taken a sleeping pill and don't remember much of it.
37. Favorite Day Of The Year? i don't know. days are just days. how can you really have a favorite? if you pick one that is supposed to be your favorite, you're just setting yourself up for a letdown. in my book, all days suck until they prove themselves otherwise.
38. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? how about scary movies with happy endings?
39. Summer Or Winter? i love all of my seasons equally and there's no way you can make me choose.
40. Hugs OR Kisses? definitely both. often at the same time.
41. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? cake... i love cake. mmmm.
42. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? i don't really care.
43. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? please see number 42.
44. Living Arrangements?? i've got a house with a youth pastor roommate who sleeps in a little white bed and a ironman running roommate who sleeps on the floor and works for a toy company. i like to keep it interesting.
45. What Books Are You Reading? "matthew m. barnes' rules for life, vol. 3"
46. What's On Your Mouse Pad? i don't have one of those. except in my office where it's the cover of "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" by u2.
47. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? The West Wing.
48. Favorite Smells? good food and hot chicks
49. Favorite junk food: cake
50. What's the farthest you've been from home? Hydrabad, India
"here today... gone to Amsterdam?"
Friday, September 16, 2005