Matthew Dean Shaffer #7

How many cups does it take to get some service around here! ...oh wait. [sips coffee, thinks to self, gets up, refills coffee in kitchen, sits back down]. Why is it whenever I try to think of lyrics (my own or someone else's), the first thing in my head is: "Two jumps in a week, perhaps you think that's pretty clever, don't you boy?" Those are lyrics from Radiohead's album The Bends. It's the song High and Dry. I don't really like that song that much, and I haven't even heard it in maybe ten years, or possibly longer. And I usually don't remember lyrics to songs. I wonder what they did to make the lyrics stick..... Maybe that's why they are inextricably famous in a common world of strict formulas. Hmm...... Maybe it's some weird frequency that the government can use to -Wait! I don't want that! ...Come to think of it, someone is listening. It might be coincidence, but I've been noticing this a lot lately; I've been getting junk mail related to things I've talked about to people in person, not online, not on the phone, but in person. I haven't even done searches for these things. I have had no activity online for a bot or whatever they use to get information to find this stuff out about me. The most recent example is I needed new tires for the borrowed (from my mom) car that I'm driving. My dad told me, again in person, that he would get me some tires this weekend. The next day I get emails for tires, used cars, new cars. I have never received a single email about cars or tires until now. Okay. Again, it could just be coincidence, but here's another example. I was talking to a few people (in person) about the need for residual income. The next day I receive an email that states, "Your friend residual income has sent you a message". Obviously that's one of those emails that you get when someone is phishing info from your searches. The creepy thing about this one is I have never searched for anything even remotely related to residual income, not even for anything related to the individual words "residual" or "income". This one makes me feel a bit paranoid. I could say that if someone really wanted to sell me something they could be eaves dropping on my conversations when I'm outside. But, and this is the kicker, I only talked about residual income twice, and both times I was in the car driving.

Matthew Dean Shaffer #2

Loneliness is a black cup of coffee.

Matthew Dean Shaffer #1

Three thoughts, separate but connected:

1)Yes, I believe God exists, and I believe that coffee and music exist too, but not in the same plain of existence, well, yes, in the same plain, but lower. Wait. Let me start over. God is far more important than coffee or music; but I say I love all three. Sometimes I wonder if I use love a little too casually where God is concerned.

2)We love coffee (or tea if that's your thing; perhaps hot chocolate?). We love music (or AM talk radio if you're one of those people who doesn't like music; I have been acquainted with one such person). But do we LOVE God or do we just love God? Or do we just kind of like Him? Or worst yet, do we just mildly tolerate His presence? What do we mean when we say we love Him? I ask this because I have heard the word "love" used interchangeably with all of these terms of endearment (or lack there of).

3)I would have to say in my life, keeping things in their proper perspective and order of importance, the following statement is true: I LOVE God. I love music. I love coffee too. I mildly tolerate tea.