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2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

@ Molly-Rose. @Hitch Fan. @ Raccoon Society,
Hey Hitch Fan & Raccoon Society, Hey Molly-Rose :)
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I perused a quote about reason and faith, here, so just wanted to leave a quick insight. Times still ticking. So, get ready, like the countdown goes, remember get your dose of Caffeine and ample supply ready, time is here and now, handy keys to the DeLorean, ready, count it down .... 4,3... is seven,2,1... twenty-one go!
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Bringing in “reason” as a debatable perspective is an arbitrary moot inception of hanging on over a cliff after getting caught in suspended animation. In earnest, I’d rather crony up with a like-minded anarchist that befuddles the imposition-ers of faith is somehow equatable to ever be torn asunder by absence of reason as a supposed and dull exploitive of why not to have faith or presumes faith constraints reason. How tired and bored is that perspective, faith is sans reason, etcetera, as how tired and uninspired the word medley of “how tired and uninspired” is in a sentence. Truly, think, open-mindedly, if you are going to stand to incept reason into the mixture.
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Faith is not constraint of reason. Human expectations are the constraint of reason. When you expect an outcome, expecting defies the natural progression of reason and the possibilities of reason, cause and natural common-sense by reason. Esp if an expectation is only geared or rendered for a specific outcome that is meant to propagate a furnished idea – that is what constraints reason and undermines reason. Faith itself is not a constraint in and of itself.

Faith scrutinizes reason in the same manner that reason scrutinizes faith. Even if you are construing my comments in a sense of Biblical faith, (my own affections on Faith is, faith is faith, regardless of own individual’s personal sentiments) it should be applied to bare it as a pertinent truth of your conscience, if it is in tune with your own accordance of Faith. The insight is similar of a notion and passage Mat Devine shared in a previous entry, from the Bible in 1 Thessalonians “"Test all things and cling to that which is good." 1 Thes. 5:2
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The insight is, by mere contemplative states of the least of reality that is truly, utterly, ever known or knowable is dependent upon the realization those that follow the limited intelligence of humanity are no different or variable than those who believe in an infinite power or being. Except, that, the latter ones are not contained w/ limits of other people’s interpretations as to what the individual(s) believe or have faith in believing. In other words, of course, there is an open defiance of censorship. As the effect of censorship in many formulations is non-productive or progressive, plus attempts to suppress individuality and environmental compatibility and functionality. Individuals have an innate right and will, to believe / have faith in what sets their own life in accord with how they truly feel and be able to live according to a sound in-tact own conscience. The utopic is it ought to be a morally/ethically approach that is not projecting undue negative renderances into another person’s life. Give and take , choose battles, our world is further everyday from a utopia considering the majority has shunned itself to ignoring the dystopic qualties that are here right now and that media at large has veiled in elaborate dunce cap shrouding that dystopic societies are in the future although the dystopic future written about as Fiction is actually happening now. If you need hot lead dead giveaway tell-tale, read the Hunger Games. Reality shows and a corresponding match like Survivor and the way our governments handle it citizens and slowly revolve into revolutions is starkly illuminating in contrast to what science and governments would sooner have you believing recently. Citric awakening happens, just like heads up 7-up, goes round by round like kisses on the forehead of what you’re willing to fight for and go to battle.
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Morning tune ready for the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSkb0kDacjs
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Personally, I think, plus, prefer, to be limitless w/ willingly choosing to have faith in an infinite that harkens possibilities that exuberate all realities and endless potential for the greater good and bless those who are willing with talents that incorporate into their environments rather than something that devoids humanity of its own existence and destroying itself within by the contraptions of limiting itself like is so often seen and has already been duly established by the acts of science and people having a follow mentality to the state of science and scientists own propulsions of ideas and constructed basis’s that are feasibly assembled for mass production to the herd mentality that those of lower I.Q’s or sheer follow mentality will gobble up without having to test and proof it and prove that the theory itself or basis of scientific belief is sketchy. Esp taking into vantage perspective, equal opportunity intelligent licensures that can compute the information readily on-hand and disseminated to be shredded apart by the citizens sans academic luxury degrees handling inspecting statistics, quantities and exacts, in other words, the scientific misnomers blatantly compiled as derivations alleged to be fact sans exact intricate intra-acted ways of actually testing and provable.
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Thus this ///.... “"Faith is the surrender of the mind; it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other mammals. It's our need to believe, and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me." ~ Christopher Hitchen ...////
The quoted sentiment is also a mentality that ought be evenly distributed and thus applied to science in the same rigor of scrutiny; otherwise, science in a whole would be an easily reasonable standing on reason sham completely. People whom fully put their faith (be earnest and real, that that’s what is happening) into science, as a bunch of atheists often do blindly, are, again, as I wrote briefly to “Fellow Heathen” no different than the people they claim they are different from whom have faith including certain atheists that are attempting to devalue those individuals whom believe faith in God or deity/deities, et al. So, let’s prevent the ostracization by some ethos that eludes incorporating the fragility of the argument done towards only shunning the hypocrisy of its actions in statement, as is clear with the ///....“Of all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated.”...//// bit of the quote. Anyone with a brain embedded permeating reason plus own foresight is able to tear it tinker tape red, pulling apart the fallibility of the application of exclusion. So, well, let’s say it for what it is, for those who may get a bit riled or bewildered by the notion that that Hitchens quote has to be able to stand soundly to its own accord and then some to win over anything in such a debatable topic of query. Which whoever posted it aka the person behind “Hitch Fan” left it to, what is surmised as an attempted permissive gainer for something it isn’t rather than be seen for what it is. It is what it is; so let it stand to be, and let it be what it is.

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So, what to do, what to do…carry a smile, just smile at all times, esp. smitten. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKrbAUjBbvU&ob=av2e
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Charles Kingsley, said, ///....“And we shall be made truly wise if we be made content; content, too, not only with what we can understand, but content with what we do not understand—the habit of mind which theologians call—and rightly—faith in God.”...////
If you consider the application of – ///....“we shall be made truly wise if we be made content; content, too, not only with what we can understand, but content with what we do not understand”...//// – you would sooner or later come to deriving the conclusion, if you apply it to theologians that it would then need fairly be dispersed to be applied to scientists and science’s schematics, as well.
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Since, yes, a bunch did catch the flip-syde subtleties and am no longer so-so much M.I.A on-the-grid stats as prior (except at a backwards C//S, let those bones right ;) and sticking true and loyal to odes n’ codes Patrick Henry stylistic lovers “Give me Liberty or Give me death” stance of a prose writer and a bit of an unconventionalist, by art and its unconfined nature, I’d rather par up with movers and doers and standers, with the following quotes. As, this vantage scope of the playing field is where and why art comes into play and tests the grounds. Art endures. Art offers the companionship of the formidable connections of now, urgency and longevity. Legacy – such a regale atoning attenuation intonation inflection to the word while delivering an infliction to naysayers. Cruxly, appropos, regardless, if all there is, is this, every day, every time, I’d rather know within all is aligned in my soul anytime death knocks. Just, must gotta have something to share and faith upon for all those marvelous and wonder-filled death feats after-all. Nil sin Numine.
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Maybe humanities’ expectations need to be readjusted? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw
“Skepticism Is The Beginning Of Faith.” ~ Oscar Wilde
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///....“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”...//// ~ Blaise Pascal
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///....“I heard once of an American who so defined faith, "that faculty which enables us to believe things which we know to be untrue." For one, I follow that man. He meant that WE SHALL HAVE AN OPEN MIND, AND NOT LET A LITTLE BIT OF TRUTH CHECK THE RUSH OF THE BIG TRUTH, like a small rock does a railway truck. WE GET THE SMALL TRUTH first. Good! We keep him, and we value him, BUT ALL THE SAME WE MUST NOT LET HIM THINK HIMSELF ALL THE TRUTH IN THE UNIVERSE.”...//// ~ Bram Stoker, Dracula
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///....“We fall from womb to tomb, from one blackness and toward another, remembering little of the one and knowing nothing of the other...except through faith.”...////~ Stephen King
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///....“That in such righteousness /// To them by faith imputed they may find ///
Justification towards God, and peace /// Of conscience.”...//// ~ John Milton
Ciao.
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///catch the captcha exjst9////

NL7, hi-5alive! on January 25, 2012 at 04:11 PM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Mat I recently started my GCSEs and I'm stressing out so much. I've only had two exams so far and they were Maths and History. I have to resit my maths because I didn't get a C and I think I have failed my history exam.
I learned today that you have to get at least a C in Maths, English and Science to be able to get into sixth form and I started crying because I don't think I'll be able to get into sixth form now. But to be able to do what I want when I'm older I'll need to go.

Becky on January 24, 2012 at 03:59 PM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Hey Mat! I think you might find this interesting.. Especially the lack of information we've gotten about ACTA.

http://anonops.blogspot.com/2012/01/things-you-need-to-know-about-acta.html

hanners on January 24, 2012 at 10:18 AM
20 QUESTIONS- Lightning Round PART II: My Breakup with Snooki, Marriage, Music, Public Puking and more...

Mat, what do you think a cure for shyness and when you can't say things right around people you like is ?

Valerie on January 21, 2012 at 01:15 AM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Dear Mat,
I am 16 and I've been invited to my mum's best friend's birthday do in April. She's having it in a posh Hotel and Lodge in the countryside and it sounds great! It's strictly 18+ but I've been told I'm allowed to go which is great!
The catch? I have no idea what to wear. It's advised that girls wear address and, after prom, there is no chance in hell that I will be caught wearing a dress! It made me feel so uncomfortable. So, I need your advice. What should I wear? I don't exactly have a lot of money to spend and I don't want to go looking like someone I'm not. Have you any ideas? Oh, I forgot to mention, it's a masquerade so any thoughts on what type of mask I should go for? Thanks Mat, see you in March.

Hannah

Hannah on January 20, 2012 at 04:27 PM

Archives

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Slammed, Under The Gun, and Throwing Shoes At My Television

Posted on March 31, 2009 at 12:35 AM

Eating: snap peas, swiss cheese, Watson 853's

Listening to: Blood Blank by Bon Iver, on repeat

Drinking: coffee, 2005 BV Meritage

Watching: Anvil, Rock'n Rolla, Flash of Genius, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

I’m mad at my city right now. Snow. Fucking snow in Spring. Stare into mirror. Form hand into gun shape. Put fingers in mouth, pull fake trigger. Bcchhhhh… In the interest of self-preservation I just booked flight to Cali for Thur.

Surfing on Orbitz I reminisce about last fall when the band was Heathrow-bound and killing time at our gate. To cure our boredom, we conceived of an entire imaginary saga revolving around a heavy metal KH side project we named ‘Suspicious Package’, and their deadly rivalry with a gay DJ duo called ‘Delicious Package’.

Apologies to all Raccoons for my absence last week, but I’ve been under the gun. spent a lot of time in the studio, where I still proclaim that these new tracks will clothe the homeless, grant superpowers, and refreeze the polar ice caps. I can’t be blamed if gold literally drips from your speakers. I warned you. Shake and Bake. That just happened.

gearheads may get a kick out of Dan's obscene pedal set up.

-spent 10 minutes writing a new theme song for the Jerry Springer show. I called it “You Don’t Know Me!” because that’s what every belligerent guest shouts at the audience, but then I abandoned it.

-3am at Debonair Social Club, Greg and I ran into Katy Perry, who we haven’t seen in over 4 years –not since we were both working with The Matrix, back when she was 19 and jumping in fountains -very random and cool to reconnect briefly.

-Licensed Morphine to Elite Model Agency for their upcoming runway show in Chicago.

-bought a vintage 1932 pic of Amelia Earhart from a crazy lady at a Starbucks for $120.

-met with new pub, The 44^th Ward, to design a signature grilled swiss cheese sandwich for their menu. I named it The Raccoon.

-read a great RS feature on one of my heroes, Ray Kurzweil, and proceeded to purchase large quantity of vitamins, supplements, antioxidants, omega 3’s, etc... becoming possibly too preoccupied with lifespan control and what Ray calls “Singularity”, the day that nanotechnology will merge seamlessly with our biology, making us all ageless and immortal. That kind of shit.

-working hard with programmer on the navigation and infrastructure of the new killhannah.com. gonna be epic. Relaunch deadline in two days.

-went for a quick ride on my illegal, uninsured scooter. started raining, got called a faggot twice and got 2 tickets. Do you like life? I know I do. Hey Chicago Police Dept, thanks a pantload.

I have a new favorite horror film. You have to see this. It’s called How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

scene one: Matthew McConaughey goes shirtless… in an office… for no reason…. whatsoever. –orange, spraytan tits in full effect.

scene two: Crab Leg dinner date with Kate Hudson. Now, in terms of terror, this is where they reach dizzying new heights. The close ups, the sound of cracking shells and smacking lips, the flirting, the dimples, the melted butter glistening on the chins, annnnnd… that’s as far as I got. Uncle!

The only feeling to which this may be comparable, is the way i felt when I saw The Exorcist in the theatre. When that possessed chick came booking down the stairs on all fours, backwards, the air literally left my lungs. Fortunately, How to Suck a Suck in Ten Sucks was on DVD so I could pause and watch it in like 5 second bursts, with time in between to pace and breathe, like trying to finish a plate of peas when i was a little kid, but it was still traumatic.

Anyway, no offense to the cast and crew. I’m not exactly their target demographic, but seriously, I’d rather eat horse laxatives.

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That Nu Romantic Sound. Amelia Earhart. Hoody-Weather in Chicago.

Posted on March 23, 2009 at 08:17 PM

I left the studio last night at 4am after hearing the rough mixes of 2 new KH tracks, and I’m beyond ecstatic. In light of the recession, this is ill-timed, but I’m afraid that professional KH haters are going to be unemployed for a while. This truly is the material that old school fans and raccoons have been waiting for. But the appeal is also so much broader. Infants, the elderly, mummies, bionic men, the mole people underneath Grand Central Station… everyone will fall under the spell. –and they’d better drink a lot of water, too, cos these songs will dehydrate your face. i can see the new advisory sticker now: Caution, music herein may lead to uncontrollable weeping.

Ok, maybe that’s hyperbole, but I honestly do feel that once the tracks are properly mixed, they will mark a pinnacle for KH writing and possibly hold a seminal place in the evolution of what I’m starting to call the ‘Nu Romantic’ alt-rock sound.

Here are a couple cover concepts I’m exploring for the E.P.

It’s finally hoody weather in Chicago. I love the dramatic change of seasons. -the start of Spring in particular, when the wicked Jack Frost runs for his life, having left so much fucking emotional carnage since October. He turns to howl a couple times before ultimately vanishing and allowing the songbirds to come out. This is the time of year when you open your windows for the first time. When your iTunes playlist changes from dark/ominous to dark/hopeful. When you start to feel wild again. When the wolves’ blood finally flows through your gypsy heart again.

I read recently that Chicago only got 100 days of sunlight this past year. 100???? Hey Earth, FUCK YOU.

I keep tracing in pen the words that I wrote on my arms last week:

'Watch Over Me' and 'The Saboteur'.

My obsession with Amelia Earhart continues. New credible theory claims that she may have actually survived a crash on the uninhabited Nikumaroro Island, but then would likely have been attacked and consumed by coconut crabs. I researched that species, and discovered they are 2’ long, prehistoric-looking evolutionary fuck-ups with pincers strong enough to cut through the hard shells of coconuts and sea turtles. Are you kidding me? Late addition to my bucket list: 3/22/09: capture, boil and eat a coconut crab. Reassert human dominance in food chain, and seek revenge for Amelia.

Went to the Lakers/Bulls game for the second half. Had to see Koby in person. He's symphonic. Truly a gazelle.

Must stop drinking for one week. Face getting bloated. Saw a pic of me from last weekend that I thought was Rocky Dennis.

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I'm So Tired I'm Gonna Puke. Back From Bam's. Gaylords Show.

Posted on March 19, 2009 at 01:13 AM

i suck at sleeping. need it so badly.

Drinking Tozai sake. Blue Moon. Makers Mark. Estancia Meritage 2005

Reading Mind of the Renaissance, The Notebooks of DaVinci and a Spanish dictionary/phrasebook.

Listening to the new YYY, peter Gabriel SO, Deftones, Love and Rockets: earth sun moon, Ryan Adams, golden oldies iTunes station

Netflix: The Insider, Street Thief, Passion of Joan of Arc (B&W silent 1928 version), Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Sophie Scholl: The Final days, The Notebook.

Note to self: pls stop watching dismal, melancholic movies alone at 5am. Didn’t you learn anything from The English Patient???? It’s heart pulverizing and the emotional residue lasts for days. Sending email to warn close friends.

My travel log left off with us on our way to Philly to hang with our good friends Bam and the Jackass crew for Kat’s bday party.

True to form, it was an amazing laughter-filled weekend. -refreshing for us to travel purely as a gang of bon vivants, without any serious ”band” obligations at all. -spent the majority of time in the miniature town of West Chester PA, which happens to be a real bastion for eccentric people who, from what I can tell, just basically drink their collective dicks off 24/7. Seasoned as we are in the time-honored god-blessed art of boozing, it was still an endurance test. Sitting on the return flight, shell shocked, Sinatra’s words looped in my heavy head: “You only live once, kid, but the way I live, once is enough.”

greg at bam's place. i'm too tired to really caption this.

your average day in west chester holding an albino snake

Back home, I was asked to guest-spin at the anniversary party of Chicago’s landmark nightclub, Neo. The staff christened me DJ Phawg, thanks to my vicious over-use of their fog machine. "mat please stop." “it’s called ambiance!” “no, it’s called the-bartenders-hate-you-because-they-can’t-see-anything!” – my set was solid, just played basically the greatest songs of all time:

Peter Murphy: cuts you up

The Cure: lovesong remix

Depeche Mode: barrel of a gun

Siouxsie and the Banshees: peek a boo,

The Smiths: how soon is now?

Met with a rep from the Film Dept of a major art school to discuss the concept of editing a new KH music video as a class project. Exciting.

The following night I guest-bartended the 11^th anniversary of Red No 5. Before touring steadily in KH, that was my regular gig every sat night til 6am. Slinging free drinks to my friends, calcifying my liver, and praying for more eye-gouging glowstick accidents. I have very fond holes in my memory from those days.

Aside from the strain of deciphering the Russian assholes attempting to order “Led Boool Vottka und bootle of vahter,” it was a blast as always.

The next night The Gaylords performed. KH completists know that The Gaylords is a consortium of minstrels, troubadours and merrymakers from several Chicago-based bands. Live shows (only one per year) are the raw stuff of legend, and usually illegal... pure hedonism at it's worst. We play 80’s covers, and dress in pastels, nut crushing shorts and headbands. The highlight: C&C music factory. sweat.

Also, someone needs to shoot me in the face the next time I mention 'weed', 'McDonalds' and 'surf n turf' in the same sentence at 5am. sunrise: my place. guests: Col and sandy. Menu: burgers and fish sandwiches. Degree of Nausea: High

Peripheral Gaylords '09. i never go anywhere without my bodyguard and my trainer.

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UK Tour Dates Announced

Posted on March 16, 2009 at 11:11 AM

Wrapping up vocals in the studio this week, and we have officially announced UK tour dates!

April 

28 Leeds, Metropolitan University 

29 Nottingham, Rock City 

30 Glasgow, QMU

May 

01 Manchester, Academy II

02 Newcastle, Academy II 

04 Sheffield Corporation 

05 Birmingham, Academy II 

07 Cardiff, Solus 

08 London, Electric Ballroom

Kerrang.com published this quote:

"Having been good friends in for many years, it's great to officially say that we in Kill Hannah will be finally sharing the stage this spring with Madina Lake. Our pipe dreams of success in England have gotten us both through many a Chicago winter together, and given the dedication of our fan bases, I expect nothing short of pandemonium at the shows. England has become our home away from home, and we can't wait to get back to the people and places we love. Counting the days!" -Mat Devine

So, in the spirit of all things English, here are a couple random lost pics from our last visit

Mushy Peas!

Steak and Timothy Taylor Landlord Ale Pie! whatever that is.

Tom Hanks hanging out at Brighton Pier

Phone booth bromance.

Phone_boots_sized

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Polar Plunge: Death or Glory. Lost Beethoven

Posted on March 5, 2009 at 04:23 AM

Listening to Barrel of a Gun by DM, eating swiss cheese and mayo sandwich. Drinking Hoegaarden. Feeling like an idiot savant; Light on the savant.

Some outbreak monkey got the entire metropolis of Chicago sick this week, including our studio engineer, who is now convalescing in the burbs, therefore halting production. Without the strict regimen of recording, I’ve gone to great lengths to avoid boredom.

I participated in the annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, wherein hundreds of maniacs laugh in the face of death, hurling themselves, in costume, into frozen polluted Lake Michigan early in the snowy morning. Sweet, sweet misery. Our theme (same as last year) was Dead Poets Society, but with the addition of a WWII helmet, a pipe and a bad hangover, it became difficult for the volunteers to distinguish me from the actual special needs kids we were there to support.

It was hell in its purest form. 10 degrees below zero, colder than a pimp’s heart, and the moment I hit the water, my feet turned black and my hands seized up into useless clenched T-rex claws for the next 30 minutes. i improvised a song on the spot called Fuck This Seriously Fucking Fuck This that i sang over and over. Aside from sharing a bed with Greg on tour, and waking up with his naked praying mantis body wrapped around me, this was easily the most uncomfortable experience in my life.

Video coming soon.

Later that same day, for complete contrast, I attended a historic concert held at a restored mansion in the gold coast. It was the World Premier of a recently rediscovered Beethoven piece that had been lost for 200 years: Piano Trio in E Flat Major, Anhang 3.

The string players performed on $4million Strataveri instruments from the 1700’s. -it really was haunting to witness such a masterful rendition of this monumental piece of music that had nearly vanished forever. -at times it felt like he was in the room.