Ok so I am flying out of Valdosta, GA on a really early flight, so here is my rant.

It drives me crazy when I sit anywhere near that person in the movies who fidgets with their candy wrapper the whole time trying to reach that last piece of candy. I completely lose focus of the movie and I swear that candy wrapper is the loudest thing on the planet. I just want to get up and help the sad soul out, so they can put the wrapper down before someone gets hurt. And there is not even a sense of urgency to get the candy out. Oh no, they are somehow able to enjoy the movie while they slowly dig into the deafening plastic M&M bag. Oh man I am coming out of my skin just thinking about it. So here’s to you “über annoying cinematic candy wrapper torturer” guy! You have once again succeeded in me not having a clue what movie I came to see!

-Bart

PS. FYI one of the band members falls under this category. I don’t wanna name names, but it rhymes with spike hoytzer.

 Here’s Barry making friends with a baby gator @ Wild America in Valdosta, Ga. Always a great crowd @ the park! Luckily they tape the gator’s mouths shut!

-mike

Hello all you big SLOBs out there! Well I am at home enjoying time with my family, so here is an old one, but a good one…I guess it’s a good one. I used to do these podcasts which I so brilliantly called “BartCasts” but I am not sure if anybody ever watched them, so if I can find them all, I will let you folks check’em out . This video was made during rehearsals of the “Coming Up To Breathe” tour, and it just goes to show that we have always been major goofballs just waiting for this blog…oops I mean SLOB to come along. A match made in heaven!

- bart

NASHVILLE, TN - In follow up to HYMNED, MercyMe frontman Bart Millard’s 2005 solo project, named one of Billboard and ChristianMusicToday.com’s Top Ten albums of 2005, comes his second effort, HYMNED AGAIN, which will hit nationwide on August 19th. The first single to be serviced to AC and Inspo radio formats will be “I Stand Amazed,” on July 4th, which features guest vocals by Christy Nockels.

Taking the production helm once again is Brown Bannister, who along with Millard’s passionate vocals and a famed line up of studio musicians, has created an impressive and diversified musical landscape on HYMNED AGAIN. Raised in East Texas relatively close to where many musical styles originated, Millard wanted to create an authentic sound with these old hymns, most of which date back to the 1800s and talk about sharing one’s faith during this era when evangelism was on the rise. Therefore, HYMNED AGAIN runs the stylistic gamut from New Orleans style horn-driven jazz to Texas blues-rock guitar, and country/bluegrass to banjo-featuring Dixieland, ’70s soul/gospel flavor, and one song centered on nothing more than a ukulele.

To top it off, the sole original track on the CD, written by Millard and Thad Cockrell, “Jesus Cares for Me,” features a duet with country superstar Vince Gill. “The one thing I’ve been looking to do is sing with Bart and check that off my Bucket List.” laughed Gill, who had some fun with Millard in the recording studio with his ‘Bucket List,’ video from which is featured on MercyMe’s blog page.  All kidding aside, the duet is surely a dream come true for Millard, who states, “I never imagined I would sing a duet with Vince Gill, and especially that it would be on one of my records. It was truly an incredible ‘pinch myself’ moment.”

While HYMNED was inspired by Millard’s grandmother, and the hymns she used to sing, HYMNED AGAIN was inspired moreso by his three kids. “My three kids know every word of the first hymns record I did,” he says. “These are songs that were a huge part of my upbringing, and now they are a part of my kids’ as well, so I had to do another one! And, true to form, they already have the new album memorized too.”
Millard is currently touring a full summer schedule with MercyMe supporting their latest hit project, ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME. The band will be touring this fall as well, dates for which are available on http://www.mercyme.org. Millard also just taped a special HYMNED AGAIN episode of the Gospel Music Channel’s Kitchen Sink program which is scheduled to air on September 27th.

the {m} media collective

Hello fellow SLOBs!

Well I am sitting in the dreaded middle seat on a crowded flight, and decided to say hello and get some stuff off my chest. In fact, I am starting a new series called “Bart’s Crowded Airplane Rant.” This is where, by “slobbing” on my iPhone, I will prevent myself from going absolutely nuts on the plane while the lady next to me falls asleep with her elbow jabbed in my ribs. All I am saying is I had the armrest first! So here we go with the first installment of “Bart’s Crowded Airplane Rant.” Enjoy. Oh Lord she just woke up coughing up a lung. I think I am gonna faint.

Cheesy church signs! Why do we do this? Everywhere I go, I see the small church marquee with something corny like “God checks His Knee-mail.” Are you kidding me? Knee-mail? Or how about “CH–CH. What’s missing? UR.” Come on churches, you’re killing me!

Do we sincerely believe that some guy, who does not know Christ, is gonna drive by and see a sign that says,” Get right or get left” and think to himself,” Wow, not only is it a witty play on words, but I think I need to go in and get things settled!” Probably not. In fact, most people will think it is a joke like most of the actual church does. Maybe that church sign is meant be used to inform people what time church starts, or to support the local high school team through the playoffs, but please, no more corny phrases…actually I take that back. Do I really wanna live in a word without these ridiculous phrases? Nope. I guess deep down I kind of enjoy these church signs being comic relief for the community. Besides, how else would I realize that summertime is hot, but hell is hotter. So nevermind.

Please, please by all means leave a comment with your best church sign gem.
 

Yes this sign is actually at a drive thru here in Greenville. Did I mention the education system in Hunt County is ranked pretty low?!?!?!

Mike.