The Long Wait is Over

This video sat on the shelf for three months and is now ready to make it's national debut. Cut and ready in only five hours, enjoy!!!

Wincing The Night Away

So, on my last post on my blog, I mentioned that I didn't think that there would be a new album by The Shins this year, but I didn't say if I liked the newest album Wincing The Night Away. First of all I need to clear somthing up. This album actually came out on January 27th, 2007, so I meant they wouldn't have another album later this year.
I think that there is somthing about third albums. First albums kindof introduce us to a new group. Maybe a new sound, and some great singals. Second albums seem to just show that the band can come up with new material. But, the third album is when the band, in this case The Shins, have to prove that they can mature in every aspect of music making, and that they can come out with a great album. In the past two weeks I have listened to this album three or four times, every day. I still haven't found a song that I would call a singel. That isn't to say that I don't like some songs better, it's just that none seem seperate and above the album. All the songs work together to make this a sweet record. The first song is Sleeping Lessons. It seems to be taking you off into a daydream, into another world. It helps you get lost in this record. Phantom Limb, could easily be a stand alone song, but the track Pam Berry is it's into. The drums and bass on sealegs seems so unlike The Shins, but than James Mercer begins to sing and everything clicks. And, I can't listen to Red Rabbits and than not listen to the next track Turn On Me.
I think this a great album. It's nothing fancy but I am so hooked. I'll listen to some of my other music, but I always end up coming back to this record. So, don't get it unless your ready for the noise.
(Hey Matt, sorry it took so long to get my review out... what do think of this album)

Thomas Crum - in a Benjamin Crum film

Thomas, you are a goof!

See the film here

Drawing

This is a little sketch I did of when some of us were back-packing in the mountains of Colorado.

The Game

It was January 31st at 9:58 local time, I quickly placed my Halo 2 disc into my XBox 360. Seconds later the Bungie logo screen appeared, followed by Microsoft's... Within a minute I was logging into my "Live" account, and by 10:00 I was in a pregame lobby, awaiting my first Rumble Pit match of the night. Beginning at midnight (Eastern Time) thousands of Halo 2 players came together for three hours of online play, to qualify for entrance into the Halo 3 Beta.

A week later, those who had played for the three hours had to register at Halo3.com so that we could be the first to play the most anticipated game ever. I tried to register before I went to work, but the punks at Microsoft were probably still dinking their Starbucks and talking about how cool Zunes are. I have an amazing wife, who kindly checked in on the site throughout the day, and despite the bogged-down Microsoft server, was able to register me for the Beta...

A week after registration closed, I was sitting at the computer one night, and my MSN account popped up a message, informing me that I had some mail from Microsoft... It was here! I got into the Beta! Halo 3 is going to be the best video game ever in the history of the world. Perhaps better games will follow (Maybe Halo 4), but I've been waiting almost 30 years for this, and sometime this Spring I'll be online with the Beta, and hopefully by Thanksgiving we'll get the rest of the game.

Hopefully this hasn't come across as bragging or anything. Hopefully all of you will get the oppurtunity to play too. I'll even put out an open invitation to all of you; come on over and play whenever you want.

COLTS VS. BEARS

The ultimate Super Bowl match up. Colts and Manning versus Grossman and the Bears! Could there be a better Super Bowl match up?

Just Thinking

I just got off the phone with Peter. We talked about various things for about an hour but neither he nor our conversation has anything to do with this post. For some reason an idea just came to me that I want some feedback on. It's the idea that some people we meet are very much like mythical beings. For example, Gloria, the flower girl at Michal and my wedding was very often like a farry or sprite. How many of you remember Mr. Steele from Landisville? Think for a moment of him praying, now what does that remind you of?

I think Mr. Steele was an Ent. It's just an idea and I know it won't apply to everyone but I think we can all think of someone who remind us of a ficitional character or creature.

Horse Race

It hasn't quite been two weeks yet, but Dumb Dumb's newest Dlog is so imprtant and current that we felt it best to realease a couple days early. After much debate, we decided it is best to only post on his personal site (There is a link to the left, thanks Ben). There may be some objectionable content in this Dlog and in upcoming Dlogs, nothing that Simon and Garfunkle haven't already covered, but nevertheless best left off the family site. Dumb Dumb feels that there is some discrimination going down, but I think this is best.

Ladies and Gentlebeans

Today marks the next step in the saga of the Crum Family Blog. Today is the first day that the blog runs on the new Google Powered Blogger. Some of you (my family members) may not have Google accounts, if this is the case you will need to set one up next time you wish to post to the blog. Sorry if this is inconvenient, we will end up having a better site because of it.

Dlog

Dumb Dumb Dog has a few things to say, and today he begins with the first in a bi-weekly series.

New Years in Baltimore

Hey everyone, just wanted to forward this on to you all. Jessica, who came out with Michal and me to Baltimore, has just posted some pictures on her Flickr site. They're really good. Check them out [here].

Here's the picture she took of Stephen at the park.

Will and J-Dogg

So Ben posts a new video with a song by the same group (and from the same album) that I have a new video for (also featuring two of our brothers). Mine is not as produced but just as kick-A!!

Thief - a Benjamin Crum film

Check out my new film. Thomas, Jon and I worked on this one yesterday and I spent last night and this morning finishing it up. Nothing to fancy, just a little cold-weather fun. Enjoy!

Res-o-lut-ions

Every year I have the same problem with "New Year's Resolutions." I think of a really good one around February 10th.

But, looking back on the weeks prior to this discovery, I realize that I've already broken it many times. Examples of this include not eating chocolate or not watching movies or not talking in-depth about the new Harry Potter book before it comes out.

The last few years I have resolved not to make any resolutions. That didn't get me very far. I was disqualified from the start.

So this year, I'm just not going to resolve. At all.

Happy Freakin New Year

Happy new year y'all.

End of Year Video

This really has nothing to do with the end of 2006 except that I made this with my new video camera and will be doing more of this in the year to come. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!



More of my videos appear on Google Video

Colorado

This might be another good time to discuss my theory on how snow is a direct result of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, but rather I thought I would talk about the benefits of snow:

Snow in Colorado is almost always powdery. This is not good for snowballs or for snowmen, but it is great for shoveling. It's almost like no work at all. The last two winters I didn't even have a shovel, I merely swept our porch, sidewalk and driveway. This year I carry a shovel in my Pathfinder for work, so I've been breaking it out to shovel the above mentioned surfaces. I'm not going to go so far as to say I enjoy the act of snow removal, but there's worse things one could be doing. I guess it's just nice for a break from sitting around inside all day, to actually get outside and do some physical labor.

I really didn't list a benefit of snow, perhaps looking at snow is it's only benefit. How can a result of an act of disobedience be so beautiful. Maybe it's like a painting by a convict, or a quilt by a lawyer. We should just appreciate it for what it is, and not ask too many questions.

Jon's Blog Must Die

Hello Everyone,
Just getting back from Africa the last thing I want is to start a fight... wait, check that. Just getting back from Africa the thing that I want to do more than anything else is start a fight. So here goes: As I was catching up on the goings-on in the Crum family I did what any good brother and son would do, I looked at your blogs. I found out that Matt has a cool Christmas sweater that plays music by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and that Mom now realizes that no matter how bad of students we were as kids, at least she could spank us. This brings me to my point, Jon needs some serious discipline. I mean, how am I supposed to know what is going on in your life if I can't read it in a public forum?

I think that explains it. As we all know Jon has been uttering thoughts non-stop for the past four or five years. I knew that eventually he would run out of thoughts and I guess that day has come. Here's a tip Jon, blogs are not actually intended to be "thought depositories" (not to be confused with "thought suppo..." never mind). Just recycle things that other people say, neglect to site your source, and claim it as a new "idea" or thought and bingo, you have a blog. case in point.

Merry Christmas

Wow, 11 o'clock and I'm the first one to post a "Merry Christmas". Either you all are sleeping in or I am a loser who is posting on Christmas. Anyway, I hope you all (Crums, not other people reading this blog) have a great Christmas and I'll see some of you soon.



PS: click here to see one of Michal's presents.

OHIO STATE IS GATOR BAIT