lonely nation

2007-06-21T11:35:00.000-06:00

Snakes & other pertinent news

2007-06-19T14:27:00.001-06:00

I guess I ought to update....

*updates*

Ok, seriously, we just got a snake today. She ROCKS. She looks a lot like this.

She isn't poisonous, and she doesn't bite. But she is VERY strong. Since her chief way of getting prey is constriction, she feels like a solid muscle. Note to self: Don't hang around neck. It's a little frightening to hold her. She does tend to tighten up when she's frightened, and she doesn't like sudden movements.

In other news, we're expecting our sixth kid, due mid-January. Please pray that the pregnancy goes well for my mom.

Um...I am still not done with school yet. I am working v.e.r.y. hard on biology, though, and I should be done with it shortly. Even if I have to work on it all summer, I won't be bummed out, because it, combined with chores and other goings-on will keep me from being bored this summer.

Some of my friends are *blessed* to be in VA this week for debate camp. They are all going for team policy debate and I'm pushing my intial jealousy aside to wish them a great time in Virginia! (And hoping that they'll share their notes & acquired wisdom with me... heh heh....)

NCFCA nationals are over. I didn't go, though I'm not sure I would have gone if I'd qualified. I don't think I'll go to nats (even if I qualify) until my senior year, when I may go even if I don't qualify to watch.

I think that covers it. (If anyone's reading this...... :)

Music says .... Part I: Promises

2007-05-24T15:52:00.000-06:00

I'm starting up a mini series about the things we can learn from music. I know there's a lot of music out there that seems to have absolutely no purpose other than to disgust, shock, horrify or repulse its audience. Flawed as music is (being performed by flawed human beings), I honestly do think we can learn from it.

Music has a lot to say about promises. Def Leppard and Aerosmith talk about ‘late-night’ promises that were made spur-of-the-moment and were forgotten by the morning. Stereotypically speaking, the entire premise of country music is regretting broken promises. Frequently, we’ll promise something that we’re sure we can deliver, only to wake up ten minutes after it’s too late to take our words back, realizing that not only is there no way we can deliver what we promised, we had no right to promise anything like that in the first place.

A good example of promising more than we can deliver is in our relationships. When we’re caught in a fast and furious relationship with some guy or girl we really like, it’s so, so easy – too easy – to promise that we’ll be their friend forever, or, if our relationship is more advanced (or we are more foolish) that we’ll love them forever, and we’ll be there for them whenever we need them.The simple problem with promising such extravagant rewards to any human being is that we’re completely incapable of keeping our word. When we say we’ll be their friend forever, we don’t take into account that we don’t know everything about them. We don’t know their flaws. As we get to know them better, we may find that we can’t stand them as people. In which case we simply iron over our words, hope they’ve forgotten them, and say our goodbyes. Love is more complicated (isn’t it always??). Put plainly, we have no right to swear our undying (!) love to anyone in any situation outside of marriage. If we swear our love to the first person who comes along, *knowing* that person is who God made for us, we are not only foolish, but we’re flirting with fire...so to speak. The people you swear to love usually do not forget such oaths, wish as we might they would.

That’s the waking-up-ten-minutes-after-it’s-too-late part. Speaking from personal experience, I am never aware of my mistakes until after I’ve done with them. I don’t realize my foolishness until after I’ve spoken. I don’t realize my temper until after I’ve shouted. And I certainly don’t realize my pride until after I’ve patted myself on the back. While I’ve never professed undying love to any person (and don’t plan to for quite some time), if the past and other people are any indication, I’m just as likely to rush ahead and spout my feelings before I recognize that saying how I feel is a form of selfishness...the desire to see my emotions reciprocated precisely in the other person.And then, there's the truth element. I find myself listening to music that promises the world. But I realize that I won't always be there. There's no way I can be (it's humanly impossible - think time-space continuum). I can't promise to love anyone forever except in the formal, God-honoring form of marriage vows. So there's no reason to rush ahead and promise things I don't know if I can deliver. My word is my word, and I mean to keep it. Proverbs 15:4b tells us that an upright man is one who "keeps his oath even when it hurts." We can set standards for ourselves before we're ever tempted to promise something rash so that keeping our word is an infrequent occurence.

Honestly, making rash promises is a form of selfishness. If we don't think through our own words, we most likely will end up paying for them. Even if we don't, someone else does. Speaking after you think and promising according to God's standards - not our flighty feelings or boastful beliefs - is just one more example of maturity. Hebrews 5:14 tells us true maturity is being able to tell the difference between good and evil, and getting that skill by constant usage. Let's learn our lesson from Def Leppard & Aerosmith (probably one of the only lessons we WANT to learn from them!) and watch what we promise.

2007-05-15T09:48:00.000-06:00

Aaah! I’m so sick of my own writing! It all starts out really well...nice-sounding...well-organized...but it becomes vapid and boring after awhile. Argh. I think I’d better major in art or something besides writing.....

Anyway, yup, I'm working on a term paper right now. Any advice for surviving said paper would be greatly appreciated.

Out

~'dia~

Free will, prayer, and the future!

2007-05-10T15:17:00.000-06:00

This is a part of a debate/conversation I'm having right now with some friends of mine. We're all being raised in Christian families, but our opinions do diverge on certain issues: For example, the effect of human prayer on changing the future. Here's what I said.
---
Human free will as pertains to the future

I firmly believe that humans have free will. However, I don't concede that God doesn't know the future. It's odd to say that God does some things half-way...that he either knows the future in part, or he knows it all the way and can't change it. That's a false dilemma, because if the past is any indication, God doesn't do things half-heartedly. Is God limited in any of his abilities? Not from what we can see, though we are certainly limited in our knowledge of him. How could he be? We don't know of a single thing that God cannot do, other than sin. Can he not predict our actions? There's simply no way that so many people could predict so accurately Jesus' birthplace, career, punishment, death, and ressurrection by simply using human intuition. If God didn't know the future, he wouldn't have been able to tell these people about Jesus. Didn't he create us? If he created us, he ought to know all our quirks. If he knows all our quirks, he ought to know what our free will is going dictate we do. It follows that he can use the Holy Spirit to actually change the course of action we take when we follow our free will. Thus we have free will, but he has the ultimate plan, and uses our free will to accomplish his plan.

Prayer

I think God listens to what we have to say. How he'll reply to it (yes or no) depends on what he knows we need...but I believe he will reply to it. We can pray about the future but whether or not God will change it as a result of those prayers is probably something no one will know until they get to heaven. I'm not convinced it's possible to know FOR SURE if God changes things because of our prayers in any way short of divine revelation...which doesn't occur a lot these days.

That's a brief outline of what I think of prayer, etc. I tend to be almost fatalistic when I pray for something: I ask that God's will be done, and (depending on the circumstance) that he work through me. It's complicated....I'm up for debate, though! :)

2007-05-03T12:49:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you do what you're sure is right, and then you're miserable. Why does it work that way?

Joy to the World!

2007-04-23T18:11:00.000-06:00

Babies are born knowing how to cry, but they have to learn how to laugh. Every mother knows this: By 2 months her baby can smile in response to attention, and by 3 or 4 months she begins making imitative noises. But real, honest-to-goodness belly laughs don’t occur until 5 or 6 months. Crying comes right out of the gut; laughter requires context.

What makes a baby laugh is the essence of all humor—a sense of unexpectedness. A baby’s life is basically a serious business of getting needs met by adults who carry, feed, dress and change him. Then one day there pops around the corner of consciousness a truly antic figure, well past toddlerhood yet far short of adolescence.

This figure hangs upside down, makes faces, grunts like a chimpanzee—and it’s hilarious. Mother may say, “Stop acting silly, Jimmy,” but Baby is shaking with uncontrollable mirth. Smiling and talking are learned responses, but laughter comes out of nowhere and takes him by surprise.

A baby has to understand congruity to recognize incongruity. From such unsophisticated beginnings his sense of humor is on a speedy track to underwear and potty jokes.

Like everything else, humor is corrupted by sin and too soon becomes cynical, bitter, or mocking. It’s the way Sarah laughed at the prophecy of her coming motherhood: “A bag of bones like me swelling up like a dewy young bride? That’ll be the day.”That was the day, when Sarah laughed again. This time for joy—and for surprise, because she had been around long enough to know that this is not the way things work in the world. She named her baby Laughter, for “all who hear of it will laugh with me.”

G.K Chesterton once made a similar comparison between paganism and Christianity. Paganism was usually rated a religion of joy and Christianity of sorrow, but in truth it was just the opposite. Paganism has taken the world’s measure and knows that life is sorrowful business at heart; therefore, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we will die.” But Christianity recognizes that a world of hurt is surrounded by a universe of joy.

Our faith teaches a three-personed God so full of love He could not keep it to Himself. We know the foundations of the earth were laid “when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Our God saw the end from the beginning, calculated the sum of blood and pain and destruction and death and abomination—and still considered the whole creation enterprise to be worth its cost. Joy is fundamental; grief is a passing shade.

One notable occasion during His earthly life, the Man of Sorrows, rejoicing in the Spirit, looked heavenward and cried out, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Luke 10:21). The “little children” were the 12 disciples, who had returned from a mission trip all agog that the demons obeyed them in Christ’s name. Like, wow! No jaded cynicism here: These were boys who could still be surprised, babbling like babies at the wonders they’d seen. Jesus knew the grief that lay before them. But he also knew the hilarity.

No sorrow on earth has ever come near the sorrow of the cross; no abandonment has ever equaled that suffered by the Son; no necessity was ever so grim as that which put Him there. Yet He endured it “for the joy that was set before Him.” We who believe are little children, just experienced enough to be surprised. Yes, care weighs us down, but the irrepressible joy of the universe occasionally pops out and reveals itself, and our youth is renewed…. “There was some on thing,” Chesterton wrote, “that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.” While low in the grave he lay, the world was not surprised; this is its way. But up from the grace He arose, and the world was turned on its head.

---
Joy to the World
Don’t let anyone tell you that Christianity is a religion of sorrow
Janie B. Cheaney
World Magazine
April 14, 2007

2007-04-01T14:59:00.000-06:00

I sat down to write a long, industrious, educational post for my blog.

But the only words that would come out of my fingers were...

...stinkin’ messed up.

...because that’s what I think of a current condition that I see. It’s this situation where a guy has not made any move in a relationship (possibly because said relationship has been around about...two weeks?) and the ever-patient girl makes the first move by asking if he likes her. Guy replies, “Sure!” (hey, it’s flattering to have someone who wants your attention) and boom, the relationship is off too a rip...roaring...start. That right there doesn’t seem right to me. Don’t ask me why: it sure is easier on the guy to not have to do any awkward, “So...uh...do you like...................................cars?” moments when he really wants to ask a girl if she likes HIM (not cars). But is that how it’s supposed to be? Is it really the right way to go, just because it’s easier?

I thought God designed men to be the initiators in a relationship. It seems to me that guys dread having to make the first move and girls jump on it. But there’s a consistent pattern of guys making the first move and girls who are able to follow coming together, getting married, and sticking together for life...whereas when a girl initiates, it’s usually because of something much less serious than actually caring about the guy. My argument with the theory that girls can initiate because it makes it easier on guys is simply this: Guys who are decent, upstanding young men will move forward in a relationship when they see real growth in it. They’ll take the relationship seriously. Girls tend to be very fluttery as to the condition of a relationship. Sometimes we really are incapable of gauging just how serious it actually is, due to healthy young imaginations, a good dose of self-pity, and a less-than-optimal sense of self-worth.

If you’re a guy whose parents say it’s ok for a girl to ask you out, I pity you, because in doing so, your parents are most likely trying to make it easier for you to get into a relationship...a potentially disastrous and heartbreaking relationship. They’re trying to make it easy on you, and that isn’t the real world. The real world won’t be easy on you.

I welcome challenges, critiques, and comments on this idea/theory/thingy I’ve mulled over the past week or so.

tobyMac In the Air

2007-04-01T14:24:00.000-06:00

I had a dream last night about the other side
And I must confess that it was quite the ride
I had a dream last night and the fact that you weren't there
Gave me quite the scare
People were afloat all around me
Yet their weightless state never seemed to astound me
Everything was grand till I noticed one thing
That you, my friend, weren't on the scene

I've been workin' all morning trying to spin my dream
Cause I just can't believe you weren't in my dream
Remember you and I said we would paint the sky
And the leaves on the trees and the stars at night
We made beats and we even wrote rhymes
And played golf, I think, a million times
Now we never got around to spiritual matters
But we sure made time for our mindless chatter

CHORUS
I wanna see you there
In the the air
One day we'll be singin' hallelujah
I wanna see you there
In the the air
One day we'll be singin' hallelujah

Hello, wassup (wassup), how ya doin' (just fine)
I was sorta wonderin', could we make the time
(Just kick it) why not at our usual spot
Latte's in May, mine cold, yours hot
(So where we goin') much deeper than our usual chat
(Like who's beats is weak and who's beats is phat)
Nah, my man, this some next level junk
(Like when we discussed if Tiger Woods could dunk)
Just meet me there, seven o'clock, rain or shine
With a fat cup of bean and a wide open mind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This song scared me! How many of my friends would I not see if I were to have a dream like that tonight?

2007-02-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

I was reading a book earlier today that talks about how the male mind works.

Wow.

I honestly don't think girls can understand how different guys' minds are! I know I don't get it. I'm sad to say that I was not at all convinced that modesty was important. But reading this book, I realized that it's a battle that has to be waged every day - on both sides: For guys keeping their eyes to themselves, and for girls to forgo a little extra attention. Argh! It's so frustrating! (With that out of my system, I'll proceed.)

Girls are dumb. Guys are taxed. Both are cursed. Unless they both realize it, nothing will happen. Yup yup. (Sorry, I can't come up with anything else right now.... )

If GM had advanced at the same rate as Microsoft...

2007-02-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive -- but would run on only five percent of the roads. (amen!)

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

My favorites: Rap

2007-02-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

In no particular order...

-Ludacris & Mary J. Blige: Runaway Love
-Mary J. Blige: Be Without You
-Nelly Furtado: Say it Right
-Akon: Don't Matter

My favorites: Country

2007-02-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

In no particular order...

*New!*

-Collin Raye: I Can Still Feel You
-Big & Rich: Lost in the Moment
-Martina McBride: How I Feel
-Sarah Buxton: That Kinda Day
-Collin Raye: Little Rock
-David Ball: Private Malone
-Emerson Drive: What If?
-Lonestar: Not a Day Goes By
-Rascal Flatts: Stand
-Brooks & Dunn: Hillbilly Deluxe
-Josh Gracin: I Wanna Live
-Rascal Flatts: While You Loved Me
-Tim McGraw: My Old Friend
-Dierks Bentley: Long Trip Alone
- Josh Gracin: Stay with Me
-Emerson Drive: Still Got Yesterday
-Lonestar: Mountains
-Tim McGraw: Stars Go Blue
-Rascal Flatts: Not Just Me
-Emerson Drive: Moments
-Phil Vassar: Good ol' Days
-Pat Green: Dixie Lullaby
-Emerson Drive: Take it from Me
-Darryl Worley: Just Got Back from a War
-Eric Church: Guys Like Me
-Jack Ingraham: Wherever You Are
-Jason Aldean: Hicktown
-Emerson Drive: Fall Into Me
-Mongomery Gentry: Lucky Man
-Steve Holy: Come On, Rain
-Collin Raye: One Boy, One Girl
-Montgomery Gentry: If You Ever Stop Loving Me

becoming a teen & my life

2007-02-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

As I was wandering through the house this evening, I was searching for a way to escape some of the noise and confusion around me. It occurred to me that maybe I should read a book! But only an all-new, never-before-read book would do for me tonight. At that point, I decided that I might write my own little “book” of sorts…detailing a little about my life and some of the things I’ve learned over the past decade-and-a-half…besides the basics like reading, walking and talking. I should divide it into three parts: Ages one through five, five through 10, and 10 through my current age.

My earliest years were some of my most enjoyable. I was learning, growing and making mistakes at an amazing rate. Even at such a young age, I quickly learned that disobedience was met with spankings, stubbornness was met with equal and opposite resistance, and that tricycles are (or can be) dangerous vehicles…but thankfully, that was the only lesson that required a trip to the emergency room, which is another story. I played in the mud, befriended neighborhood kids, developed a penchant for mischief of all sorts, and exposed my skin to so much sun that the freckles on my cheeks are still visible to this day. I also learned that sometimes Dad coming home from work spelled trouble for me and my devious schemes. Those days, while not idyllic, were probably as close to ideal as I’ll ever see. They were good days.

When I turned five, I discovered the joys of reading, and the reward of hard work. Actually, at that age, I was certain that all work was worthless (a belief I have since abandoned). Anyway, at this age, I still enjoyed playing outside. Our next-door neighbor kids were our friends, and they influenced our early years fairly significantly. We created many good memories in our backyard. Unfortunately, at this stage I also learned just how fast a rumor can spread—and how it can hurt. I also learned the amazing power of words, and began to learn how carefully one must choose said words (no pun intended). To say that I learned either concept fully would be a lie.

When I was eleven, life became much more interesting. All the things I learned! It was around this time that my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which can be (and was, in his situation) a life-threatening condition. He was led by God to a doctor in California who specialized in treating his specific cancer without chemotherapy, so he and mom went west for his treatment. We stayed with a family of ours during the full month of my dad’s hospitalization. To my distaste, I must admit that I was at this point a very selfish little wart, thinking only of myself and focusing on how things ought to please me more fully. I learned a lot about people during that time, though—lessons I have carried with me for the rest of my life thus far…lessons that weren’t always fun, but that were important and necessary. I met some amazing friends—some of the best I have—while we were staying with our friends. I learned what a crush is, much to my chagrin and embarrassment. I also learned to love music—all sorts of music! In retrospect, though, I wish I had been more cautious with my standards for music, but some things can’t be undone. I think if you ask my parents, they might tell you that music wrecked me. But all they have is circumstantial evidence (I’m tellin’ ya, man!). I honestly don’t believe that they’re using post hoc ergo propter hoc, that is, Latin for the logical fallacy “after this, therefore because of this.” Becoming a teen is enough to turn anybody into someone new…or different, at least.

2007-02-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

My cat Davi

Don't forget what's important!!! Read the tiny print on the bottom of this sign.

2007-02-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a list of my best songs ever . (Not that I've written........I don't e-publish those!)

It isn't complete.

I don't even have a number one.

I have stuff from country, rock, techno, pop, and Christian.

I have not the faintest idea how to organize it!

But I'll be working on it.

MORE SNOW!!!!

2007-02-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

This makes four feet total we've gotten this year (roughly)! And we're out in the plains. Woohoo! Winter Park, here I come! This has got to be a great skiing & snowboarding year. I wish we could go so much. I don't like the cold, but if the cold comes with something neat like skiing, it's well worth it.

On other fronts, we've got two speech and debate tournaments coming up really soon. I'm so excited! My duo is going to be a blast. I'm not really looking forward to impromptu, but I'll bet I can pull it off. As for debate, we're set! Sometimes at club, I find myself really not wanting to debate. But then when we're in the round, I ask myself, "What were you thinking?? This is great!" Debate is awesome.

Public speaking is awesome too. I just don't like all the funny looks we get when we say that a) we're homeschooled and b) we're competing in speech and debate. People look at us sideways...kind of like, "Ahhh...they really need socialization, don't they?" Argh! What is their problem??? We're not socially inept morons with negative IQs! We're talking to them, aren't we? Of course, that may be not be a sign of intelligence....

But I digress. I'm glad to be updating. I'll close on this note:

Carry me
I'm just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can't find a heart beat
Make me breathe
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan
-Jars of Clay, Dead Man (Carry Me)

2007-02-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! That's small.

This is what my cat tends to do when he relaxes.

Due explanation!

2007-02-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

My mom wonders why I sometimes draw pictures of guys. When she asked, I really didn't have a good response, because I hadn't really thought about it. But I have now, and this is the conclusion I've reached.

It’s very difficult to draw the human features, as many of my past pictures will testify to. I choose to draw guys not because I’m obsessed with them, but rather because when you draw guys, you get much more “up-front” features with more distinction and clarity. Girls have softer features and their expressions are more difficult to capture. I believe that in order to become a capable artist, you must be able to draw both masculine and feminine traits. I'm starting with guys because, simply put, they're easier. Not a lot easier, mind you-it's always a challenge to complete someone's features and expressions with success. But if there's an easier way to do something, I'm going to try it before I move on to the more challenging side.

Not obsession, but polishing.

2007-01-13T21:27:00.001-07:00

This strange format is just an experiment! This whole template is WIP. Please be patient. :)

2007-01-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Support the country you live in or live in the country you support.

2006-12-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Everybody’s looking for something-something to fill in the hole. We think a lot but don’t talk much about it, till things get out of control.

While perhaps not the best source of quotations, classic rock group Van Halen deftly addressed the issue of fulfillment in this song. People throughout the years have attempted to fulfill themselves with other people, things or pastimes. Today, a new group is gaining the stage in regards to this question. They are the New Atheists-though admittedly, their ideas are now new-and the world watches in anticipation to see if they will finally be able to answer the ultimate question, “What do I want?”

Before we study these atheists with unbridled interest, let’s take a look behind the scenes. There, without all the glamour, is another answer, and it differs dramatically from the vagueness of atheism. Composed of clear-cut rules, the religion we call Christianity is governed by underlying virtues and principles. Some consider it to be narrow-minded, as if one single Person could truly fulfill this great, cavernous hole inside each of us.

So atheism attempts to fill its followers with reason, logic and order. In a recent article on atheism, leading atheist Daniel Dennett explains that in this future world without God humans will be universally involved in a “religion of reason”. In the same article, another atheistic author speaks highly of using poetry, introspection and meditation to take the place of the primitive religion we call Christianity. Truly, this is a great, peaceful world that artists like John Lennon have always envisioned. It is an ambitious world, but according to atheists, it is attainable—but only once all traces of religion are abolished.

Certainly, today’s world is not as beautiful as it might be. People are insecure, lost, lonely, hurt and confused. Every day, people’s hearts are broken. A perfectly unbiased reader of these prominent atheists’ works might find their vision of universal peace and prosperity appealing. After all, what could be more alluring than this veritable utopia?

But the atheists, for all their magnificent plans, have neglected a rather significant issue—that of fulfillment. Nowhere within their sparkling claims do they state that humans will be fulfilled. Certainly, they strongly imply that people will be happy, but real happiness is difficult to obtain without true fulfillment. The problem today is not how we can be perfectly happy and comfortable in this life, but rather, how can our lives have true meaning and real fulfillment? Atheism doesn’t address the issue of fulfillment at all-either for the bright future, or for the bitter present. Nor do the proponents of atheism give any excuse for not being able to do so. But Christianity does offer answers. Deuteronomy 4:29 speaks of finding the one true God when we seek Him with all of our hearts. This God is attainable. We are loved completely by the Creator of the universe! That kind of love must be returned, at least to the best of our abilities. And as thousands of Christians from all over the world will attest, the pursuit of God-and only the pursuit of God-will fulfill without exception. These people have tried different things to fill themselves-human love, personal ambition, and various pastimes. But nothing has filled them so completely as the love of God and their desire to share that love.

Though I am being raised in a Christian family, I have measured the relative benefits of atheism against the benefits of Christianity. In doing so, I encountered many logical fallacies in the entire philosophy behind atheism. I hope that the unaddressed issue of fulfillment will be clear to every searching person who considers the “religion” of atheism.

So I would leave you with this question. If life is as atheists say and there is no higher power, why does the love of God consume, fill and enrich the lives of his followers? Atheism offers no answer to this query, and that is where atheism falls far short of answering life’s biggest questions.

Being a Middle Child

2006-11-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Being a middle child and a second daughter is no light task. In fact, it requires skill and aptitude beyond what most adults can imagine! My job is composed of several different elements.

First of all, I’m the chief complainer in my family. In most families, the youngest or the oldest boy is the champion whiner. Not in our family. I take it upon myself to point out and expound every problem in our family, our house, and our home. For example: Mom! Our schedule gives me three minutes to do algebra! (Actually a perfectly relevant point!) Another example: Dad! The toilet’s overflowing! Again!! (Also a perfectly relevant point…) and my last example: Mom! He’s picking his nose again! (Ugh!) Those are just a few of the daily objects the chief complainer absolutely must whine about on a regular basis.

Along with being chief complainer in our family, I am also resident cynic. This job includes being serious for most of the time, and interjecting my down-to-earth, sometimes dark views for the exasperation of the rest of my family. It works amazing well for most issues that come up.
My trustworthy workplace motto is: “No one should be too euphoric for too long.” Being resident cynic will also improve your reflexes, as the not-so-lovely truth will tend to make people less charitable toward your person.

While being resident cynic has its ups and downs, it has nothing on being the family cultural consultant. This job description is comprised of knowing every song played on the radio today on every station, having a perfectly dizzying mental rolodex of the lyrics to nearly every song, and keeping up on the latest movies, TV shows, magazines, books and bands.
But along with being well-versed in media of all types, it is useful to have a working knowledge of nearly every automobile on the roads today. It is always nice to know the difference between a Cobra, a Viper, and a Cayman—the first is made by Ford, the second by Dodge, and the last by Porsche. And it’s also helpful to know how Porsche is pronounced! Vehicle knowledge is an important element if you wish to become a private cultural consultant.
And last but not least, it is helpful to be fluent in every sort of wholesome slang in today’s world. For example: the word “shorty” and the word “emo.” “Shorty” is a term of endearment given by the hip-hop crowd to girlfriends, and “emo” is a description of a musical or personal style in which emotion is used excessively. Knowing many internet terms is an optional benefit to knowing large amounts of slang.

And lastly, I am acknowledged as the wordsmith in our family. My use of words will probably never cease to startle, amuse and enlighten my family. One of my favorite words is “maligned.” As in, “Ooh! An insult! I’ve been maligned! I’ll never speak to you again!” If that sounds familiar to you, it probably is. Yes, it is true: I get a lot of my vocabulary from Calvin and Hobbes. Also, as my family will attest, I will read the dictionary for no apparent reason. The fact that I rarely speak around people is simply a mask for the fact that my sisters cannot get me to be quiet. Being a wordsmith is not a particularly demanding job, but it is one of the most enjoyable components of being a middle child in our family.

To summarize, that is a little about what it takes to be a middle child. Contrary to popular belief, middle children are not less unique than oldest or youngest children. If anything, they are forced to maintain a more unique outlook on life because of their position in the family.
While there is nothing wrong with being a first or youngest child, being a middle has many perks. Although the pay is not particularly good.

Just for fun :)

2006-11-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4 and write what it says. “These books concentrate on questions about pain, God, life and love.”
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch? My dresser.
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? Don’t remember
4. Without looking, guess what time it is. 1:08
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 12:54
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? Def Leppard on the radio and my sister typing.
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? Earlier this morning. Getting home from my friends’ house.
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at? The ironing board in my room.
9. What are you wearing? Denim skirt and multi layer shirt.
10. Did you dream last night? Oh ya
11. When did you last laugh? Last night: I was reading W. Bruce Cameron’s Garden Wars edition of his column.
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? My LOTR RotK poster, my names of Christ poster, a picture from my friend, and a calendar.
13. Seen anything weird lately? Yeah, my friend.
14. What do you think of this quiz? Interesting enough to take!
15. What is the last film you saw? Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Were Rabbit
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? My first gun, a good flashlight, a Toyota Tacoma, and iPod and $300 worth of iTunes.
17. Tell me something about you that I don't know. I am introverted, but I like writing.
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? Feed every person in Africa every day for the rest of their lives.
19. Do you like to dance? :D Sorta. Just got two darn left feet.
20. Comment to George Bush: Please ignore what they say about you.
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? Heh. Melanie Joyce. (means “dark” and “gothic”)
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him? Isaiah Dante
23. Would you ever consider living abroad? Hmm...yeah!
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate? Well done, good and faithful servant.
25. 3 people who must also do this quiz in THEIR blog.
My sister
My friend
My other friend. ;)

P.O.D. Article II

2006-10-28T15:28:00.000-06:00

You can not fill your heart and your mind with the music of P.O.D. and remain spiritually sound. It has already spiritually corrupted many of you reading this article. You already place P.O.D. way above the Lord Jesus.

I would be perfectly willing to try and understand exactly what these people are trying to tell me about POD. In fact, I don't think POD is a model band (note I never said so.) However, blatant accusations such as the above are unfounded, unfair and biased. They make me much less accepting of what they have to say. To say to someone that they place something above their Creator is wrong. And do you know why? Any man that claims to know the heart of another man is lying. A man doesn't even know the state of his own heart! How can these people make such blatant accusations? What would Jesus say to this kind, compassionate, understanding tactic?

10.25.2006

2006-10-25T16:26:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, it's been awhile. ;) School's still been real busy, but not too bad. I'm lovin' debate! Ok, so I am a research freak. SO??? You gotta problem with that?? Ahem. ;)

What I would say if I had ten minutes to change the world

2006-10-22T20:29:00.000-06:00

Note: This essay won second place in the Colorado CFC Scholarship Essay Contest.

For centuries, mankind has been plagued with darkness, despair, hatred and meaningless violence. Only one source claims to know the answer to the world’s problems, the reason those problems exist, and how those problems can be solved. This source is known today as Christianity, as it has been officially titled for two hundred centuries.
Though Christians have been strongly persecuted over the years, the expansion of the faith was unstoppable. It began spreading in the Middle East during the life of its founder, Jesus Christ. From there, it rapidly spread to the most remote corners of the earth. But the way of Christianity has not always been an easy way.
To this day, Christianity is still persecuted, even in an advanced society like the United States. Christianity is daily put down in American schools, courtrooms, and media. Because of the persecution Christianity has faced (which has been worse than any other persecution for a religion), we can be confident of the truth to be found within.
The three basic pillars of Christianity are the foundation of every true Christian’s belief. While some of these concepts go by different names, the content should be the same.

The first pillar of this unique faith is known as the concept of total depravity.
Total depravity is the belief that no man on earth has anything to offer to the Creator of the universe, who requires absolute perfection and adherence to His law. This depravity is evidenced everywhere we look in the world today: In the meaningless dictatorial slaughter of Saddam Hussein’s own subjects, and in the historical example of the Nazi concentration camps.
Perhaps the most obvious example of this depravity is the everyday procedure right here in the United States called abortion. No matter which way we turn, it is abundantly clear that the world has nothing to offer God, as has been the case since man fell by disobeying God’s law in the Garden of Eden.
As horrible as the listed things are, it becomes increasingly evident that the good works a man can do are just as meaningless: No amount of money given to charity and no amount of kindness toward anyone can earn anyone appreciation in God’s eyes. God is a just God, and He requires complete adherence to His perfect laws. It is unfortunately true that no one on earth is able to obey God’s laws from top to bottom, nor does anyone in the world have an inherent desire to do so. This inability and apathy is due to a combination of demonic whisperings and a surly, wicked human nature. However, without complete obeisance to the perfect divine law, all human beings are destined to spend an eternity in the Lake of Fire, under relentless torture and in unending pain.

The complete wretchedness and helplessness of the human race thus established, it is now imperative that we examine the next pillar of the Christian faith: that of saving grace.
While it has been earlier stated that God is a just God, it is in order to now add that God is also a gracious God. The significance of this principle is that every person on earth will not spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is made possible by the complete redeeming grace offered by God through His son, Jesus Christ.
This is where Christianity is set apart from every other religion, past or present, in any worldly culture. The concept of a religious leader who dies so that every single person who follows Him may live eternally is something completely unique, and it is made even more astounding by the fact that Jesus was brought back to life after three days of being dead.
Leaders like Buddha, Mohammed and Joseph Smith never died-not just for their followers at the time, but for anyone in the future who was willing to put their faith in them-and they were certainly never raised from the dead. The simple reason for this is that no matter what they claim, no other religious leader has been both completely God and completely man, a combination called the hypostatic union. No other religious leader has had the hypostatic union; therefore no other religious leader has had the power to raise themselves from the dead.
Now that the reality of Christ’s resurrection is established, the significance of this miraculous event must be closely examined.
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were God’s plan to redeem His people from the power of sin. Jesus’ life was designed to tell people about their depravity and to serve God on earth. His death was to take His Father’s wrath upon Himself, so that God’s wrath would not be poured onto the human race. And His resurrection was necessary to prove His victory over death itself, the most feared of corporeal enemies. With death conquered and an omnipresent God who cares about each person, Christians have nothing to fear either in life (from people, nature or God’s wrath) or in death. True Christians are not only striving for a more Christ-like lifestyle, but they are also guaranteed an eternity with the God they love in Heaven. The influence of Christianity on the world’s current problems will be massive. When everyone in every country around the world truly accepts true Christianity, the world will become a much better place for each and every individual. Fear of both life and death will be significantly reduced, and individuals will strive to be kinder, more patient, more loving, and less sinful.

It is important to remember, also, that while the lifestyle Christianity creates is significantly less burdened than that of the unbeliever, no one’s life-not even a Christian’s-is ever going to be perfectly free of trials and tribulations. However, when we know that God has our best interests in mind, our situations in His hands, and His incredible love for us in His heart, we cannot be defeated by anything the world tries to bring us down with.
God offers at least one escape from every sinful temptation presented to every person. He also tells us that we are not faced with any temptation more severe than other people have faced in the past: It is simply His help and our faith in that help which brings us untouched through the fiery furnace of temptations.

In summary, the life Jesus offers through His suffering and resurrection is much more than simply a more peaceful life here on earth. The Christian way of life cultivates the good traits that are not present in each person inherently, but are gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as patience, love, perseverance, faith and peace. There is no doubt in my mind that instituting Christianity in every single country would lead to an increase in true Christians. This increase would trigger a drop in gratuitous violations of God’s perfect law. Christianity for all nations would significantly, permanently, and positively change the world.

That is what I would say if I had ten minutes to change the world.

Al Gore for president?!? Is anyone but me scared?

2006-06-12T11:41:00.000-06:00

The following is displayed prominently on the page titled "Al Gore 2008", from www. algore-08.com. Read and consider on your own, and then read my comments below.

--<-@

Is He or Isn't He? 2008 Analysis

Sunday, 11 June 2006

Al Gore is on a roll. His anti-global warming film, An Inconvenient Truth, had the most successful per screen documentary film opening in history. And his new book of the same name is number 3 on the New York Times best seller list. His opinion is sought on all the pressing issues of the day, and even the mainstream media have begun to praise his remarkable record of being right when (pretty much) everybody else was wrong.

No wonder people are getting excited about the return of this statesman to the national debate. Everywhere he goes, the winner of the popular vote in 2000 is asked: Would you consider running for President in 2008? Although his answer has consistently been that he has no intention or plans to seek office, he hasn't decided not to run either.

I'm convinced that Gore can be persuaded to run, and this is hardly a radical view....

--<-@

From what I have seen of Al Gore, he is intensely dedicated to the environment. Ok. Wow. So what's the big deal? He says he has unique abilities that would make him a great president, and that the presidency will give him a great way to really turn the environmental situation around. But he doesn't want to run. He's confident, he's ready, he's right, according to the overwhelmingly liberal media that he has *finally* gotten to agree with him (a distinct impossibility for conservative, moral people of any stature whatever). So why doesn't he run for president? Supposedly, he doesn't think he's ready. But he said that he had special qualifications for being president. He's confident, like I said before. So why doesn't he run? Could it be because when it comes down to it, there is no Democrat leadership? Why would he not run otherwise? I don't think that the Democratic party has it in them to even get a presidential candidate on the bill for 2008. Overall, I don't think the Democratic party is organized enough to run Gore as their candidate, and I don't think Gore is brave enough to stand up against the Republican leadership. Personal opinion!

Why do I like country?

2006-05-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Just the other day, my friend was surprised and distressed to learn that I like country music. I know it isn't perfect, but here are a few samples of why it's so cool. These are a few of my favorites.

--<-@

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go
Life’s a Dance, John Michael Montgomery

I'm for the low man on the totem pole
And I'm for the underdog God bless his soul
And I'm for the guys still pulling third shift
And the single mom raisin' her kids
I'm for the preachers who stay on their knees
And I'm for the sinner who finally believes
And I'm for the farmer with dirt on his hands
And the soldiers who fight for this land

Chorus:

And I'm for the Bible and I'm for the flag
And I'm for the working man, me and ol' Hag
I'm just one of many
Who can't get no respect
Politically uncorrect

I guess my opinion is all out of style
Aw, but don't get me started cause I can get riled
And I'll make a fight for the forefathers plan
And the world already knows where I stand

Nothing wrong with the Bible, nothing wrong with the flag
Nothing wrong with the working man me & ol' Hag
We're just some of many who can't get no respect
Politically uncorrect
Politically uncorrect

Politically Uncorrect, Merle Haggard and Gretchen Wilson

You think you're one of millions but you're one in a million to me
When you wonder if you matter, baby look into my eyes
And tell me, can't you see you're everything to me

That's alright, that's ok
When you don't feel important honey
All I've gotta say is
To the world
You may be just another girl
But to me,
Baby, you are the world
The World, Brad Paisley

Gonna kick off my shoes
And run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet
Goin' back to the well gonna visit old friends
And feed my soul where the blacktop ends
Where the Blacktop Ends, Keith Urban

My old friend, this song's for you
Cause a few simple verses
Was the least that I could do
To tell the world that you were here
Cause the love and the laughter
Will live long after
All of the sadness and the tears
We'll meet again, my old friend
My Old Friend, Tim McGraw

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance, I hope you dance.
I Hope You Dance, Leeann Womack

Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time
Life Ain’t Always Beautiful, Gary Allan

I wanna cry like the rain
Cry like the rain
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin'
Fight with the devil and go down swingin'
Fly like a bird
Roll like a stone
Love like I aint afraid to be alone
Take everything that this world has to give
I wanna live
I Wanna Live, Josh Gracin

And I need you to know
You can fall into me
That my arms are wide open and will always be
Right here waiting
Staying strong
Come and fall into me....
Fall Into Me, Emerson Drive

P.O.D. article

2006-05-07T15:59:00.000-06:00

Found this just today while I was searching another Christian band...I had to write something on it! It's pure...well...I'm not sure it's pure anything...it's muddy stuff. But read it for yourself. The italicized words are the original article's and the plain are mine.

-<0>-

Psalm 68:4-Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

(Please notice that this is King James Version. No “per-versions” here. I don't want this verse to look like a part of the article. The article carefully ignored this verse....)

“The Rasta god is “Jah”. P.O.D.’s album, “The Fundamental Elements of Southtown” does not contain the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, but the Rasta god “Jah” occurs 10 times. Spin magazine says of P.O.D., “…the band [has] structured their lives around a spiritual belief system that cross-fades Christianity, Rastarianism and Judaism.” (Spin, October 2001, p. 88) Guitar World writes, “A lot of the spirituality you guys project seems more akin to Rasta than mainstream Christianity”. (Guitar World, Nov. 2001, p. 104)”

As demonstrated by the topmost verse, Psalm 68:4, it is perfectly biblical to call God by an unusual name, if it is ordered in the Bible that you sing praises to that name. The Rasta connotation is purely coincidental. Do you think there’s a reason the magazine Spin is named Spin? Everyone knows that half-truths and extraneous words are known as “spin”. The words of the magazine were probably an editorial, a fact that the anti-P.O.D. site did not take into account. You’ll notice that the excerpt from Guitar World is phrased exactly as a question. The site that is using those words probably took them out of context, completely ignoring the band member’s response to the question, which may have completely disproved the question’s validity.

“…the only issue that P.O.D. viciously attacks is Bible Believing Christians! Sonny of P.O.D. says, “We don’t fit in with the conservative values of Christian America.” He goes on to say, “I don’t even like saying I’m a Christian sometimes because it leaves such a bad taste in people’s mouths.” (Spin Mag, October 2001, p. 88) Marcos of P.O.D. blatantly says, “To tell the truth, though, I don’t even like the term Christian...” (GuitarWorld, No. 37, p.28)"

The site offers no proof of P.O.D’s touring with the likes of Howard Stern and does not detail what “filthy rockers” they tour with. Also, it takes the words of the rockers out of context when it states that they “don’t like the term Christian”. The site does not take into account that such “Christians” as Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn are casting an extremely unfortunate light on Christians today. Perhaps it is better not to be associated with the likes of those two men. I see no attacks on Bible-believing Christians. I do not read the words “We hate the Bible and Christianity” anywhere. In fact, I don’t even see that implication. I would have to say that if they are a hard-rock/reggae band, then they most certainly do not fit in with the regular conservative Christian values. They told the truth. And there's a problem with that? Who says that conservative Christianity is the only way to go? I was of the opinion that Christianity is Christianity if it believes that Jesus Christ is the crucified, buried, and risen again Son of God and that all that's required for salvation is belief in Him. The first thing you look for in any religion is who is Jesus to them? To the band (not a religion) P.O.D., He is the risen Son of God, to be revered and worshipped.

P.O.D.'s albums are gushing with occult symbols. One of P.O.D.'s logos is the 'triqueta'. The triqueta is Latin for "three cornered" and signifies the power of three. The triqueta is very popular in witchcraft, representing the threefold nature of the Witchcraft Goddess as virgin, mother and crone. As Christianity was polluted with many pagan symbols, the triqueta was falsely adopted by some Christians as symbolizing the Trinity.

The site does not detail that the “triqueta,” as they call it, could hypothetically be used to symbolize the Trinity. Nor does it detail what would be wrong with that-why it would be "false" to do that. Their argument that it’s an occult sign does not stand because the band is composed of professing Christians who want to use this sign in a Christian way, doing away with its former image.
They even state that the triqueta is “…commonly used in Catholic liturgical iconography.” So P.O.D’s use of this symbol (I don’t believe it is a triqueta when not used in an occult setting or for an occultic purpose) is not new.

OVERALL: You may notice that the article I’m using quotes only two sources: Guitar World and Spin magazines, neither of which have been proven credible sources. So if these folks would like to attack P.O.D., I would suggest several things. This may sound harsh, so hold on.

1. Get your facts straight. Until I read this article, I was convinced that taking words out of context and twisting facts were secular tricks. Not so, as I can see. Whoever wrote this article needs some lessons in putting the truth forth in a clear, honest manner, concealing nothing, and leaving the decisions to their readers.
2. Keep a fair point of view. The band P.O.D. is not evil, despite the somewhat goth art on their album Payable on Death. In fact, conservative Christian organization has this to say about their work.
Satellite: http://pluggedinonline.com/music/music/a0000945.cfm
Payable on Death: http://pluggedinonline.com/music/music/a0001598.cfm
Testify: http://pluggedinonline.com/music/music/a0002564.cfm
3. Use more credible sources. Guitar World and Spin aren’t accountable news organizations. They sound more to me like tabloids…but that’s just me. Point is, they aren’t the AP.

I think that’s all. There is so much more stuff against P.O.D. and the like that I don’t even have time to cover all of it. But this stuff is pure bias. They want to make your mind up for you. They don't want you to have a balanced point of view. Otherwise, you might see that P.O.D. has taken on a particularly hard, dark part of music and is slowly turning it around. How can you fault that? P.O.D. is composed of humans. Of course they sin, of course they make mistakes. But they are no more sinful than the author of this article. It looks like the author of this and similar articles simply don't like the sound of P.O.D. Either that or they're bored. Both ways, you should avoid their garbage as much as possible.
--

Like I said, there is a TON of this stuff out there. I'll have to keep writing about it. It is most interesting.

Baby boomers and the impending social security crisis

2006-04-28T11:20:00.000-06:00

I am a policy debater. And as such, I like to have evidence. So in this article, I’ve done some research that will hopefully shed a little light on one of the big hot topics of today: Social security and our society.

Social security ties in to something many people don’t even realize. It all goes back about thirty-three years, to 1973. As many of us know, that was the year Roe v. Wade was decided in the United States Supreme Court, after being argued first in 1971, reargued in 1972 and finally settled on January 22nd, 1973. The legalization of abortion in America has had far more negative impacts than almost any other decision the Supreme Court has ever made.

After World War II, the soldiers returning from war began thinking of starting families. And so they did. All of them. And as a result, huge numbers of children were born within close proximity of each other as far as age. This sudden growth became known as the Baby Boom. Between the years of 1946 and 1964, the number of children born into families skyrocketed. The following information states that quite clearly:

By the end of the decade (1946-56) about 32 million babies had been born, compared with 24 million in the lean 30s. In 1954, annual births first topped four million and did not drop below that figure until 1965, when four out of ten Americans were under the age of twenty.

This change clearly symbolized that America was ready to grow. But now, these baby boomers are getting ready to retire.

Everyone knows that in order to have a fully functioning society, the young generation must help support the older generation. That’s the case today, in America. There must be a balance between the workers and the retirees-especially in a social security system like we have now. In about twenty-five years, the baby boomers will be more than ready to retire, and of course, there will be the expected workers who are entering the most productive time of their life. These workers will be in their late twenties to mid thirties...just getting excited about their jobs, families and their lives in general. They will fill the workforce perfectly, and the money they pay in taxes will help people living on social security.

This should be the case, and indeed, it would be. But as many major news organizations and leaders have pointed out, we will soon be facing an extreme shortage of workers. As stated in the Washington Post:

Social Security's fundamental difficulty is a demographic one: As time passes, there will be more retirees demanding benefits and fewer workers paying the taxes that fund the program. Currently there are more than three workers for every retiree; by 2040, that ratio will drop to 2 to 1. Moreover, increasing life expectancy will place additional demands on the program, a cost amplified by the fact that higher earners, who collect bigger Social Security checks, tend to live longer.

Right now, the worker: retiree ratio is 3:1. This is working for the moment. However, it is known for certain that the number will soon drop from 3:1 to 2:1. This means increased stress on taxpayers/workers, as Thomas Donohue states clearly.

Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue, at a news conference outlining business prospects in 2006, said the country is ill-prepared to deal with the impending retirement of 77 million baby boomers.
"We have yet to secure an adequate supply of working taxpayers to run a growing economy and support an explosion of retirees," he said in his organization's report on the state of U.S. business.

As we can see, workers in the prime of life are going to be needed to pay taxes for the retiring baby boomers.

But consider this simple math problem: If someone is born in the 1970’s, how old will they be now? If you guessed between thirty and twenty, you’re right.

In 1973, Roe v. Wade was decided. Immediately following, abortions became more and more common, with the participants being told that the beings within them were not humans (“See, it looks just like a fish.”) or were not alive until a certain point in time-both of these being gross lies (but that’s a different article). Between 1973 and 2000, more than 39 million people were murdered in cold blood by abortion. And we are surely feeling the results of those abortions.

If said fetus was not a human at the time, then why are the workers that we need so badly right now missing? Thirty-nine million is a lot. It’s roughly the number that we will need as people continue to age and retire. And the workers we need are not available because they died before they ever had a chance to live. How many times can I say that?!? We killed our future generation. This is now negatively affecting the people who are retiring, which will in turn affect the workers/taxpayers in the future. It isn’t just a fetus. It’s a baby. And it becomes a human at the moment of conception. Life is one thing humans cannot duplicate, try as they might. It’s one of our most precious commodities, and every day, with the legalized form of murder we now call abortion, we are killing our future generations. If we keep this up, we will soon be extinct.

So in summary, 77 million baby boomers will be retiring soon. 39 million workers who would be in the prime of life right now are missing due to the legalization of abortion in 1973.

Our commitment-free, easy-living “freedom” is going to kill us. Why can we never see the potential consequences of our actions before we charge ahead?

God help America. And no, I won’t take that back.

Source citations
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Abortion statistics between 1973 and 2000

From 1973 through 2000, more than 39 million legal abortions occurred.

Found at http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904509.html
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Worker-retiree necessary and actual ratios

Social Security's fundamental difficulty is a demographic one: As time passes, there will be more retirees demanding benefits and fewer workers paying the taxes that fund the program. Currently there are more than three workers for every retiree; by 2040, that ratio will drop to 2 to 1. Moreover, increasing life expectancy will place additional demands on the program, a cost amplified by the fact that higher earners, who collect bigger Social Security checks, tend to live longer.

Found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52771-2005Jan31.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing workers

Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue, at a news conference outlining business prospects in 2006, said the country is ill-prepared to deal with the impending retirement of 77 million baby boomers.
"We have yet to secure an adequate supply of working taxpayers to run a growing economy and support an explosion of retirees," he said in his organization's report on the state of U.S. business.

Found at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1551847/posts
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Baby boomers

By the end of the decade (1946-56) about 32 million babies had been born, compared with 24 million in the lean 30s. In 1954, annual births first topped four million and did not drop below that figure until 1965, when four out of ten Americans were under the age of twenty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-World_War_II_baby_boom

Midnight Chapel

2006-04-14T20:32:00.000-06:00

We are trying scanning stuff onto the computer. So this is only a test. Don't worry. If you click it, you can see it in all its huge glory. Woo hoo! :D

Out,

~EA

This is me a few months ago. Yeah, I look like a punk. ;)

2006-04-13T18:19:00.000-06:00

2006-03-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Presidential Approval Ratings and the State of our Nation

by Lydia T. aka Escape Artist

So, President Bush is at, like, an all-time low as far as popularity ratings go. This means that he’s an incompetent president with no skill or qualifications to be in office. He started a costly war and so many people oppose it, it isn’t even funny. So therefore we need to start looking for a new president right now. Right? I mean, if everyone’s against him and his war, then he should just resign from office before he gets America into anymore trouble. That is wrong. What much of the left-wing press doesn’t seem to remember is that one of the most-admired presidents of America had low popularity ratings. He indirectly started a war, a war, which, at the time, people opposed on both sides. This was a particularly cruel war, in which thousands of men on both sides lost their lives, and America unfortunately lost either way. President Abraham Lincoln had low popularity ratings while he was in office. The whole reason South Carolina declared secession was because Lincoln, a Republican, had taken the office. Despite his attempts to promise the Southerners that their way of life wouldn’t be threatened (neither would it be expanded), the South Carolina secession led the way to a long chain of events that culminated in the Civil War. Lincoln fought the battle for America with humor, intelligence, and determination. But at the time, he was not a popular president, and, of course, a war going on in your backyard can’t be too popular.

Here we are, in 2006. We are whiny backstabbers who don’t appreciate what our men and women overseas are doing. We undermine their every move and contradict their own opinions. “They hate the war!” we say. “They just fight because it’s their duty!” When we say that, we ignore what the soldiers themselves are saying. Staff Sergeant Jamie McIntyre of Queens, New York, recently said the following*.

"I look at the faces and see fellow human beings, and I say, ‘OK. This is a sacrifice I have to make to bring them freedom.’ That’s why I joined the military. Not for the college money, for doing what’s right. Fighting under our flag. That’s what our flag stands for. I believe in that stuff. Yeah, we might lose American soldiers, but they (the Iraqi people) are going to lose a society, lose people. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture. I’ve lost friends, and it hurts. But that’s even more of a reason why I say stay. It’s something that’s got to be done. If we don’t do it, who will?"

Don’t we have better things to do than critisize the work of these brave men and women?!? We sound like ungrateful wretches.

The idea that the war in Iraq is far less popular than any war has ever been isn’t right. There has always been some small fraction of Americans who hate the war, whatever it might be for, no matter whom it’s defending (us or them). It might interest all the peace freaks out there to know that the very earliest anti-war demonstrators in America were during the Revolutionary war. They were the Tories—the traitorous American citizens who supported the rule of a tyrannical and vindictive king. So think of that the next time you storm around a park waving signs that down President Bush and the war in Iraq. Anyhow, pardon my side trail there.

President Bush’s war, as the war in Iraq is called, is unpopular simply because every war in American history has been unpopular at some point or another. There’s nothing else to be said for it. No logic, no clear thinking. Brash left-wing poppycock has clouded our vision and our media so badly that we don’t see the war in Iraq as being essential to our freedom (as well as the Iraqis’). I guess the left-wing media just doesn’t like the idea of helping other people by our sacrifices. That’ pure selfishness. They really need to get over that, and they need to see that President Bush is making the best of the situation he was given. He came in at a hard place, and his administration wasn’t without flaws. But then, whose has been?

*Exerpt from The American Enterprise, March 2006.

Dark subjects

2006-03-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's what I've found out in my short and often traumatizing, scary and sad life.

We have a hole in us.

Profound, yet extremely weird. Most likely, you weren't born with a hole in your physical heart. But if you were born any time in the past (however long the world's been around; I say about four thousand years), then you have a hole in your heart. Not a physical hole, but a hole all the same. That hole is what you feel after you build your life around your girlfriend, and she leaves, or your job, and you lose it, or your family, and they don't love you in return. That hole is what you feel after you've tried everything there is to try, and you have everything you could ever wish to have, and you still feel like you're lacking inside. Atheists argue that man can, will, and has existed on his own, without God. Nietsche said, "God is dead." I, however, being the non-atheist that I am, beg to differ.

Number one, I have no proof for my God except that I'm sitting here typing this message. The very fact that my heart works, my lungs function, and I can see almost crystal clear is evidence for intelligent design. If you don't think so, please leave a comment. I'll be happy to hear what you have to say. Please, by all means, prove me wrong. I want to hear both sides of the story. But I'm not going to get into the material side of God until I get through this first. If I was asked how I know that God exists I would simply say that I have meaning. What on earth am I talking about? Of course you have meaning! Without God, people can have meaning by...uh...please help me, I'm struggling here. To make a difference for the better? If that's what you think, I have news for you, friend. Everyone will die. "So?" you may say. "My legacy will live on!" Well, I'm sorry, but history forgets almost as easily as people. Your legacy will not live on forever. Nothing lasts forever, as the classic rock band Kansas seems to think. Though I must admit, Kansas had a fairly good idea of human existence. Let me quote a little Kansas for you.

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

These lyrics written by Kerry Livgren, not me.

Kansas, a secular band from a different era, captures the destitude of the human life. What is the point of life? How can we be sure that we can make a difference, or, for ourselves, be able to trust in the only truth we can be sure of? Well, there are actually two things we can be sure of.

1. We sin. This might seem horribly simple, but honestly, it's very important. We are not born perfect. We are not influenced into sin by our surroundings and aqcuaintances. Where did they get it? Their aqcuiantances? And where did their aqcuaintances get it? Ah, a never-ending question put to a fundamentally flawed theory. When a child is born, no, when a child is conceived, he is already sinful. Yes, it's true. I don't have pages of proof, but I'll show you proof we are born sinful after you show me we are not born sinful. Anyhow, let's just assume that we are born sinful. Sin is bad, right? No matter how we treat it. Sin is lying to your boss, cheating on your spouse, hating your brother or sister. You feel horrible and empty after you lie, cheat or hate. The old adage, "Hate hurts the hater more than the hated," is not entirely true. Well, it is, but both parties suffer. Would you agree? Has anyone ever hated you? How did you feel? Hurt? Offended? You bet. We're programmed to recognize sin. Has hating someone made you feel better? Maybe for a minute, but it's a hollow victory.

2. Sin breeds death. Sin can only lead to the demise of the sinner. Sin is where death came from in the first place. Therefore, you sin, you die. And everyone sins. But what about the afterlife? "I don't believe in that abstract stuff! How can we know?" Well, the truth is, we can't know. Neither people who believe in Heaven and hell, nor the people who don't care or know. People can't know. But you know what? I have a story for you about this subject. It goes like this.

A man and his friends were talking about death and the afterlife. The man thought that there was a God and that he would go to Heaven, since God had accepted him and loved him. His friends, however, scoffed at the idea. "Not a chance!" they said. "There's no God! There's no Heaven. Man is self-sufficient." But the man just smiled at his friends' ridicule. Later in the conversation, as the friends were about to say goodnight and go home, the man stopped them. "If there is no God, and you're right, then when we die we both cease to exist. But if I'm right, and there is a God, and we can live with Him or suffer eternal punishment, you, will be suffering eternal punishment." His friends were converted to Christianity.

The point of this short story is that I couldn't have said it better myself. This man knew how to turn an argument around, and I applaud him. Do you agree with this story? Let me know what you think.

William Bouguereau

2006-03-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Little Marauders (1872)

An artist I had never seen before, William Bouguereau, popped up during some research for art class. I love the way he captures expressions so well! He enjoyed painting girls and Greek and Roman mythology. In fact, I only saw one painting in which the center character was a man: The Flagellation of Christ. You can see that picture and much more of his work here.

At the Edge of the River (1875)

Components of a National Health Information Infrastructure

2006-03-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

CHAPTER SUMMARY

A comprehensive approach to patient safety requires the ability to anticipate and protect against circumstances that might lead to adverse events and implement corrective actions. Both adverse events and near misses require standard collection/reporting processes, datasets, definitions, and analytic approaches that can be achieved only by integrating patient safety reporting systems into the context of health information systems in both large institutions and office practices. These systems employ multiple detection methods and multiple reporting channels and involve a broad array of data elements. Establishing a national health information infrastructure is necessary to provide the backbone for such systems.

This chapter is divided into three sections: the first provides a general overview of the national health information infrastructure and a conceptual model of standards-based integrated data systems to support patient safety in institutional and office practice settings for all audiences; the second presents a technical review of the informatics components that support an information infrastructure for the technical reader; and the third provides a discussion of how standards-based clinical systems can be and have been implemented to support this endeavor for both audiences.

Population Implosion

2006-03-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a far-reaching article. If you're looking for Christian news in a secular world, look no further than WORLD Magazine.

Population implosion
Many nations are aborting their future generations, creating a worldwide underpopulation crisis

by Gene Edward Veith

The president of Estonia goes on national TV to urge his countrymen to have more children. Russian President Vladimir Putin warns his parliament about "a serious crisis threatening Russia's survival": the nation's low birth rate. The government of Singapore is trying to reverse that country's birth dearth by sponsoring a massive taxpayer-funded matchmaking service.

In 1968, Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb, panicking the world with dire predictions of a population explosion. By the year 2000, he predicted, the world would be so crowded that hundreds of millions would die of starvation. Although Mr. Ehrlich's prophecies have turned out to be almost comically wrong, PBS has produced a documentary taking him seriously, and philanthropists like Ted Turner still donate millions to combat population growth.
But the problem today is not overpopulation; it's underpopulation. For a population to reproduce itself, the fertility rate must average 2.1 children per woman. (The .1 allows for child mortality.) The fertility rate today among major developed nations is only 1.6.

The United States is rare among its peers in keeping its fertility rate at around the replacement level of 2.1, according to the Population Reference Bureau, which provided the fertility data cited here. Europe, though, is shrinking. Germany's rate is 1.3. Despite the stereotype of large Catholic families, France has a fertility rate of 1.9 and Italy has one of the lowest in Europe, 1.3. At this rate, there will be only about half as many Italians in the next generation. There will also be fewer Russians, whose fertility rate is 1.3.

Even nations that were once notorious for booming populations have drastically slowed down in reproducing themselves. In the last 20 years, India's fertility rate has gone from over four children per woman to about three. Mexico has gone from over four to just under three. China has a fertility rate of 1.8.

African nations continue to have very high fertility rates, up to five or six children per woman, but those lands are ravaged by AIDS, which is decimating their population. Muslim nations, on the other hand, tend to have booming population growth—Yemen's fertility rate is 7.2 children per woman.

Demographers predict that the world's population will level off at 9 billion, reports The Wall Street Journal. Then it will start dropping. There may well be nearly 500 million fewer people by 2075.
Isn't this a good thing? Why are so many governments panicking at the drop in their populations?
Although radical environmentalists like Mr. Ehrlich see human beings only as "consumers of the earth's resources," human beings are in fact the most valuable resource of all. Citizens are not just consumers but producers. Having fewer people can wreak havoc on an economy, creating both a labor shortage and a shortage of buyers. A government with a shrinking population faces a smaller military and fewer taxpayers. Dwindling populations have always signaled cultural decline, with less creativity, energy, and vitality on every level of society.

Already Japan— fertility rate 1.3—is facing the problem of having fewer taxpaying young people to support the burgeoning number of retirees, something that will hit the generous welfare states of Europe especially hard.

Already Europe has had to import large numbers of immigrants to bolster the labor force, most of them from the Middle East. Fewer and fewer native Europeans—along with the dwindling influence of Christianity—and more and more Muslims raise the prospect of the Islamification of Western Europe. One reason "old Europe" is not supporting the United States in a war with Iraq is that politicians in France and Germany fear the reaction among their Muslim voters.

Why the population decline? The worldwide collapse of what are, literally, family values. Thanks to contraceptive technology, sex has become separated from childbearing. With women pursuing careers of their own and men getting sex without the responsibilities of marriage, why bother with children? For many women and men, pregnancy has become an unpleasant side effect, something to prevent with contraceptives or easily treat with a trip to the abortion clinic.

The dirty little secret of the population implosion, one seldom mentioned by demographers, is that the world is aborting its future generations. China has shrunk its fertility rate by its cruel policy of forced abortion. (The website of the International Planned Parenthood Federation has only good things to say about China and does not even mention how the government coerces women to have abortions. So much for "choice.")

In the United States, abortion ends between one-third and one-fifth of all pregnancies, and the U.S. abortion rate is relatively low. In Russia, the average woman may have as many as four abortions in her lifetime. There are two abortions for every live birth. That is to say, Russians kill two-thirds of their children before they are born. That, Mr. Putin, is the "serious crisis threatening Russia's survival."

~We will be punished for our "pro-choice" mentality in far worse ways than we could have imagined.~

Superficiality in Teen Relationships

2006-03-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was reading A recommended article, and i thought, "Hmm, this is interesting. I agree with this author."

But her article got me thinking. Why is there such superficiality in teenage relationships?

Here's a hint: Look around!!!What do you see? And why shouldn't we buy it?

Turn on the TV.
Switch on the radio.
Surf the web.

What is our culture selling us? Why should people who lack a solid moral foundation have inhibitions against it?

Here's the deal. Teens buy what the culture sells. And the culture is selling flirtiness as a sign of social status, and kiss me is now a sign of progression. How can this be? Why have we fallen so low? And why do we think it's a new low? Here's what I think.Teens are not always the victims. It has been established that the culture sells what we want, plus some. Apparently, what we want is loose sexual lifestyles. Our culture is only reflecting what we want, with a little added on. Whatever we want, our culture will give us x2. That's just the way it is.

Where are teens getting this superficiality? They watch TV.They listen to the radio.They surf the web. So what? So do their parents. My point is that teens get to be the way they are through several things. By their personality, and by their surroundings. That's about it. And when their surroundings are overriding their morals and their personalities, they become tools of the culture. They begin to absorb such valueless, hip things as one-night stands, optional obedience, smoking, drugs, and disobendience. All this from their surrounding culture, and what their parents haven't taught them. All this adds up to the potential downfall of America. Point is, superficiality comes because people don't bother to teach teens what real relationships are. The culture we live in has cause massive decay in the fundamental core of relationships, and there is only one cure: Teach teens to start and carry through deep, meaningful relationships. What else is there to do? Criticizing them is not enough. If you're a Christian, it's your job to teach people your age how to live life meaningfully. I can never reiterate enough that criticizing is not enough! We have to do something about it. Talking is all fine and good, but when it comes time to do something, I get the feeling the talkers will be last in line.

2006-03-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Face the Music

Christians in the music industry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It has a sinful beat. It undermines the Christian faith in secular culture. It is the devil in the Church! What is it that has much of the conservative Christian church in a hopping fit? Two words: Christian contemporary. In this speech, I hope to clarify a little about the musical genre that is making waves in our culture. First of all, I will cover the purpose of music. Secondly, I will clarify the opposition contemporary Christian music faces. And last, I will clarify the purpose of contemporary Christian music. First, the purpose of music is to do two things:

1. To glorify and worship God
2. To edify and guide believers in their walk with God

In the Christian church, this definition is accepted with no difficulty. Many times, the Bible mentions glorifying God through music, and singing His praise aloud. He instructs us to. We are to sing with hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. And therein is the key. Churches have been singing psalms and hymns for hundreds of years. While those are not to be undervalued, the time has apparently come for the spiritual songs the Bible talks about. Logically, conservative churches are resisting—they are, after all, conservative, and we’ve been singing hymns and psalms for how long? Yes, for hundreds of years. And this is an important reason the conservative church hasn’t fully accepted the contemporary Christian music. However, the newness that contemporary Christian presents should not be a problem. Things will come, and things will go. Hymns were once a new thing, as were psalms. As I said before, we have had psalms and hymns for hundreds of years. Now is apparently the time for the spiritual songs the Bible talks about. These songs glorify God. They edify and guide Christians in their day-to-day life. And they are not the work of the devil. This leads me to my second point: Examining the opposition to contemporary Christian music. Conservative churches that oppose it have solid reasoning: ‘It seems unchristian.’ First, we need to realize the difference between personal preference and bad morals. Personal preference says “I won’t listen to that song because it is loud.” Good morals, when faced with morally deprecatory music, say “I won’t listen to that song because it has things in it that are directly in disagreement with Biblical principles.” A majority of the people who oppose contemporary Christian music are legalistic. It is a matter of preference, not of morals. Legalism is a somewhat common affliction in the conservative church today, and it is most unfortunate. The dictionary definition of legalism is strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code. Contemporary Christian music is a unique and successful way of ministering to a lost world, but legalist opposition would destroy it because it is not psalms or hymns. My personal opinion on the matter is this: If the legalists want to get rid of contemporary Christian music, so be it. But if they do, it is up to them to find a new way of spreading God’s word to a lost world. Some people say that contemporary Christian music does not hold to the traditional Christian values that the church was formed on. In a song from Kutless, a Christian rock band, they wrote the following words.

Take me into the Holy of Holies
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb
Take me into the Holy of Holies
Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am

As you can see, these lyrics state that the only way we can have access to God is through the blood of the lamb—a basic belief that the Christian church has understood for more than a thousand years. This song is also recounting Isaiah’s experience in the temple, an event taken directly from Isaiah chapter six. So the claim that contemporary Christian music leaves traditional Christian values in the dust is not valid. Another claim against contemporary Christian music is that it does not “shine the light” into the darkness of the secular culture today. Well, consider this. Double- platinum artists of The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot, a professing Christian band, has experienced overwhelming success with two of their songs, Meant to Live and Dare You to Move. Consider a line from this song.

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Salvation is here

And their other hugely popular song, Meant to Live.

We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life…
We were meant to live for so much more,
Have we lost ourselves?

I remember station surfing on my radio and hearing this song on one of our secular rock stations. I was ecstatic. Meant to Live, their louder song had finally made it big. I could only imagine how many teens would hear it and perhaps begin to wonder if we were indeed made for so much more than shallow material possessions. It also mentions that everything inside of us wants the life that God offers—the second life, or life after death. And this song is huge on secular and Christian music stations alike. If that is not spreading the light into dark places, I don’t know what is. And lastly, I will clarify the purpose of contemporary Christian music. Contemporary Christian music was designed to aid in worship areas and to help get the Christian message out. While it is certainly not a replacement for the traditional psalms and hymns in the Christian church, I can say with certainty that they are not detrimental to the basic Christian values that can be found in the church today. The claim that contemporary Christian music is “the devil in the church” is totally unfounded.

Take for example one woman who was raised in a Baptist church. After she was married, she began attending a Presbyterian church with her husband and family. Because of her background, music was important to her and she felt that it had a profound influence on the way she worshipped. However, God directed her and her family that it was time to leave the Presbyterian Church they had attended for over fifteen years. Where they were going, they didn’t know. God was wise enough to lead them to a wonderful, Christ-centered church. But…the music was a little iffy. The woman was startled by it, and she felt certain that she could never get used to it. But as she came to know the people of the church and understand their purpose, she began to realize that music does not make a church—the people within and the way they connect with one another and with God is really what matters in a church. Well, that woman was my mother, and I am a part of the family that experienced the wonderful change from being part of the extremely conservative to slightly more upbeat—but just as God-centered—group of people and their unique music. And while we still hold to the conservative principles we have always had, we have just begun to realize that the people within the church matter more than the music.

In summary, I hope I have convinced you that contemporary Christian music is not as many say it is: It is not the music of the devil in the church, and it does not undermine Christian outreach to the community—rather, it strengthens outreach to secular culture through widely accepted and attractive styles. And even if contemporary Christian music still isn’t your favorite genre of music, I hope this speech has helped clarify how contemporary Christian music is not bad.

~Please feel free to comment on this post. I would like feedback!~

Christian contemporary

2006-03-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 1:10

10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

This appeal from Paul in 1st Corinthians has been sadly ignored by the reformed Christian church today. We seem to have a bone to pick with those who worship with what we consider to be “wild” music. We may even disassociate ourselves from “those people” just because we don’t necessarily like that type of music. This is detrimental to everything the Christian faith stands for. The goal of the Christian church is to spread God’s Word to a lost world and to provide a gathering place for support and fellowship among Christians.

The arguments that are vehemently against contemporary Christian music are three things, none of which are very complimentary.

1. Unfounded
2. Unfair
3. Detrimental

The arguments that are being presented against contemporary Christian music are not helpful at all to anyone. Reformed Christians are focusing so much time into attacking Christian contemporary music that we are losing sight of Jesus calling to us: To go and make disciples of all nations. We are also honoring ourselves above others, clearly violating another command of Jesus’: Romans 12:10—be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. When we harshly criticize contemporary Christian music, we drag an issue out that has potential to divide us a lot. We need to realize that the sooner we drop the argument, the better.

John 13:34-35 states clearly that we are to love one another as Jesus loved us. Unfortunately,

John 13:34-3534"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 15:12
12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Romans 12:10
10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

My Cat

2006-02-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

As I write this, my cat stretches across my desk, his head and front legs slung lazily across my left arm, and his back legs stretching luxuriantly under my right arm and onto the keyboard. His tail twitches every time I move, and his back feet push the keyboard away from him. I’m sure cats dream as much as dogs do, because even while I write, his claws dig into my arm and flex there. Ah, thank goodness for long sleeves! His motor is running right now…I can veritably feel the desk vibrating with his rumble. He looks absolutely angelic—his round green eyes shut tight and his front legs wrapped around my arm like a hug. Now, if only his claws weren’t extended…. Why he had to come and join me in my thrilling academic pursuit—doing history on the computer—I’ll never know.

He’s waking up now. His claw is stuck in the fabric of my sleeve, and he looks puzzled at his “capture”. He wrenches his claw away violently, but he’s still stuck. I kindly loosen his claw, and he sits up. His motor is at the present going at least 180 miles per hour. He’s perched himself upright, looking as though he would like to get back to his pressing business of sleep. I can almost hear his thought: How I wish I could get by on only seventeen hours of sleep! Of course, this is wishful thinking. At least a third of his time must be spent doing what all cats are naturally supposed to do: Acting psychotic, and rumbling as though a Honda engine has escaped Richard Petty’s car and decided to possess their ribcage. That and avoiding the dog, who, being old will make a half-hearted attempt to overturn the cat whenever possible.

Ah, he thinks, the hamster calls. I’d better go and see if he’s unattended on his assumedly safe shelf. I need a little excitement. I’ll bet he does too! The ages old battle between felines and rodents is resumed. My cat lightly bounces up the stairs and carefully, subtly migrates to my sister’s room, where he will proceed to cause her to itch and sneeze while biding his time until she leaves and he can knock over her dwarf hamster’s cage. Again. *Sigh*. Psychosis is a frightening thing in humans, but in cats, it’s the norm.

Debate quotes worth mentioning

2005-12-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Negative
The law is reason, free from passion.
-Aristotle
Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.
-Ronald Reagan
Facts are stubborn things.
-Ronald Reagan
Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.
-Ronald Reagan
They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.
-Ronald Reagan
This way of life is worth defending.
-G.W. Bush
You can’t put democracy and freedom back into a box.
-G.W. Bush
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
-Benjamin Franklin
Applause waits on success.
-Benjamin Franklin
Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.
-Benjamin Franklin
The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.
-Aristotle
Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
-Benjamin Franklin
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
-Benjamin Franklin
He that waits upon fortune is never sure of a dinner.
-Benjamin Franklin
He that won't be counseled can't be helped.
-Benjamin Franklin
Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.
-Benjamin Franklin

Affirmative
A people free to choose will always choose peace.
-Ronald Reagan
Peace is not absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
-Ronald Reagan
Status quo, you know, that is Latin for "the mess we're in."
-Ronald Reagan
Trust, but verify.
-Ronald Reagan
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.
-Benjamin Franklin
Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of.
-Benjamin Franklin

picture transfer

2005-12-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

transferring this pic from our game PC to our main PC. Cool pic, huh? Don't know where it came from...but it sure would be fun to draw! Which is what I plan to do.

To Kill an American

2005-12-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

For all my American friends who enjoy reading my blog...and for all those across the world who believe in liberty, justice, equality and the freedom to pursue your own happiness.

This is a note forwarded to our family this summer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is... so they would know when they found one. (Good on ya, mate!!!!)
An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.

An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion.

For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country! As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the least! The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families.

I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself.

Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe overview/review

2005-12-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

SEE THIS MOVIE!!

Well, that's just how I feel about it. However, if you ask anyone who went with me to see it on opening day, they would probably say the same thing.

I know some reviews called this movie "less than magical" and not as special effects-happy as Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. That may or may not be true. I, for one, do not watch a movie only for the special effects. I watch a movie for the content, the cast & acting, and last of all, the effects. Special effects are a nice touch and can be helpful to the viewer as far as creating a realistic setting, but they aren't everything. I found that out when I went to see this. I was sitting there thinking "Oh, great. I'm going to be comparing this to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy!" (I haven't seen the Harry Potter movies yet.) and I was afraid that I would be comparing the two movies all the way through. Those fears were dispelled right after it officially started, though.

It started with a view into the cockpit of a German plane. But you don't realize it's a German plane until you see a family rushing into their bomb shelter, and they're speaking English. It was one of the bombings of England during WWII. Enter the Pevensie family. Mr. Pevensie is fighting for the Allied Forces and is away from his family of his wife, Helen, his sons Peter and Edmund and his daughters Susan and Lucy.

Soon the Pevensie children are on a train headed for the countryside-you get the feeling their mother thinks it's too dangerous for them in London. Which might have been true. Anyhow, they arrive at a country train station with just one suitcase apiece and themselves. They are met by Mrs. McCready, the professor's housekeeper. She does not make a favorable impression on the children. She, in her brisk accent, informs them that they must not run, play or touch the "'istorical hartifacts" under any cirumstances. And most important, she commands, "There's to be no disturbin' of the professor!" An auspicious start for the four English children in a strange house, far away from their parents and their home. But they can still have fun, as Peter, the oldest, asserts. This while rain sloshes down the windowpanes. Lucy, the youngest, requests a game of hide and go seek and Peter and the others comply. Lucy is followed by an annoying Edmund who claims "I was here first!" when Lucy finds a good hiding spot. She searches desperately and finally enters a room containing nothing but a bluebottle buzzing in the window (from the book) and a cloth-covered object. She pulls the cloth away and discovers (drumroll here) The Wardrobe. She goes in, and, reaching for the back of the wardrobe, steps backward expectantly. However, she is confronted by pine needles and snow. Enter Narnia.

And thus begins a fascinating series of adventures Lucy has by herself. She meets a faun, has tea with him, discovers his true intentions, and makes it safely home. She tells her brothers and sisters about the land at the back of the wardrobe, but to no avail. They assume she is lying or "quite batty" as Edmund says. They don't believe her and assume she is having innocent fun and making stories up. Plus there's the little time issue-Lucy is gone for what seems to her to be hours, but when she emerges from the wardrobe "hours" later, Peter is still counting to 100 for their hide and go seek game.

And that's part one. Sorry. This is taking a while to write and I want to get this out as soon as possible. Anyhow, I will continue this overview/review of this movie in the next post. But I'm not promising anything. Either way, support this movie! No actor contreversy here.....

Matthew 27:51-53

2005-12-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Why isn’t this more important in the Christian faith? I mean, the people who study the Crucifixion know that the curtain that divided the tabernacle from the normal people was ripped, symbolizing the common man’s access to God through Jesus’ atonement. But who knew that the holy people who had died were raised from the dead and after Jesus was raised first went into the city and appeared to people and then were (I suppose-this is totally extra biblical) taken into heaven with Christ when He ascended? Does this symbolize our new life in Christ and death’s powerlessness over us? Could it? I have a lot of questions about this passage. Tell me what you think!

God's Debris

2005-11-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

This book, God's Debris, is (so far) an interesting thought experiment. I can point out several fallacies in just a few minutes, but in an effort to protect copyrighted material, I'll let you read it for yourself. Tell me what you think of it! It's by Scott Adams, the author of Dilbert cartoons. But it isn't humorous. Please tell me what you think about it. It's 100% free and legal to dowload in Adobe format, and you can save it to your computer so you can read it later, too. But be warned-it's rather a hafty document! It's 132 pages, and at the very bottom of the very last page, there's an email address to contact the author.

I really need your help!

2005-11-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

I really need feedback on what I should write in this here blog. I'd like for it to be universally stimulating, but I can't make it that way unless I know what everyone wants. Ok? If I write about stuff you hate, how am I supposed to know you hate it? Let me know! In fact, comment on this post and choose the following categories you'd like me to post on in the future. Thanks!

Apolgetics
Philosophy
Theology
Pop culture (music, popular sports, in general life today)
...
And any other category you'd like me to include. I'm sure I forgot something, as this is quite a short post. But if you want me to write about anything and I mean anything, just let me know! I love to know what people think. Comment on any post you want and ask me if I could do more of that type of post or never do that type of post again. I'm counting on you guys! Thanks.

Definition of insanity

2005-11-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Look at the following pictures.

There are three ways you can react to these pictures.
1. Your stomach might lurch and you might have to look away. This is the classic response.
2. You might say, "Wow! That's cool!" This response is...well, not so classic.
3. You might say, "Hey, who cares?" This response is highly unusual.

1. This is classic because, of course, the pictures are or highly dangerous, high flying motorcylists and bikers. This might well be considered frightening. Certainly, you might never do it! But what does this mean for the people who do?

2. This is not the classic response because most people would be scared spitless of even considering doing this. But even if, at first glance, you think it might be fun, you would be scared if you actually did it.

3. This should not even be considered as a reaction. If it happened to you, then maybe you should try it extreme sports. But that's not the point here.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is the insanity craze in America right now. We have extreme sports, like the above pictures, skydiving, and other things. Why do we have this insanity craze?
Here are a few reasons that might have something to do with it.
1. We're bored!
Everyone is bored at one time or another, but the American public seems to be bored a good percent of the time. This is why we read tabloids, watch sports, and play video and computer games. And we thought we didn't have any time! Other nations are filling their time with industrious pastimes, like making things or spending time with family. But we in America have created a "oneness" where we do things on our own, we earn our own money (that's not bad) and in general doing things by ourselves, without anyone's help, thank you. This mentality can get us into a lot of trouble. When we're bored and off in our own little corner, we tend to do a lot more sinful things than when we feel we need to influence people. But that's getting off the subject.
2. When we're bored, we don't do things ourselves, we just watch other people do dumb things because we're afraid to do them ourselves. HOWEVER, tricks like the pictures above can only be done by professionals. We normal human beings have to be content just riding our bikes up and down the road or skateboarding at the park.

The point is, Americans are bored. Therefore, we watch people attempting and possibly performing crazy tricks on dangerous machines or tiny bicycles that have only one gear. It follows sensibly, right? But the problem is when we spend all our time watching other people doing insane tricks on TV, but we never bother to go out to try to learn some of our own, or even ride our bikes to the park. That's why America is so crazed with insane sports: we're bored, and we're not professionals.

Follow up to Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

2005-11-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

Humor all the poetry. This is really a cool poem, because it so well summarizes just what was going on when Paul Revere rode his famous ride. But there is another Paul Revere, a Paul Revere of the south. Not many people know him. His name was Jack Jouett, and his ride wasn't nearly as easy as Paul Revere's. First, he had no church tower light to rely on. He eavesdropped on the British soldiers in a tavern in Virginia. They were talking about the new development of their commander's-General Cornwallis. Cornwallis' plan was to attack the Virginian legislative assembly, with such notable characters as Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Nelson, Jr. in attendance. Jack, being a military man of only 27 years old, realized the intentions of the British troops and jumped on his horse at 10:30 pm. He planned to ride to Richmond, Virginia to warn the legislators of the danger they were in. He had to avoid the main roads where the British soldiers might soon be marching, so he rode through the thick Virginia vegetation, being terribly scratched by branches and whipped by undergrowth. His horse was very reliably and got him the 40 miles to Richmond in just six hours. Fortunately for Jack, the British troops had stopped for another rest after the left the bar where Jack had first encountered them. Anyhow, Jack roused Thomas Jefferson and his guests at 4:30 am and the legislators escaped with their lives. Then, instead of just sinking to the ground with exhaustion (which he would have been quite within his rights to do!), Jack jumped on his horse again and rode on to Charlottesville, Virginia, to warn the other legislators. Unfortunately, he reached Charlottesville a little too late. Seven legislators were captured, including Daniel Boone. Yet still, Jack's job was not done. General Edward Stevens, who was a Patriot leader, was captured by the British. Jack dressed as a military official and lured the gaurds away from Stevens so that he could escape. Jack outrode the British officers and avoided capture.

That, to me, is really interesting. How come we don't celebrate that? that's far more sensational than just seeing a light in a church tower and riding to warn people, which is what Paul Revere did. Of course, Revere's act is not to be underrated. He did a great thing that night. But Jack Jouett's job was a lot more strenuous!

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

2005-11-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

I Never Saw a Moor

2005-11-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

By Emily Dickinson

I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.

I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.

Simple faith in its purest form. How many of us can boast that kind of faith?

Overview of music part IV: Classic rock

2005-11-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

Definition of musical genre; Classic rock
Rock music anywhere from 10 to 30 years old.

This musical genre can be found prevalently within this culture: Parents who remember it from when they were kids

How can classic rock be good?

In the very beginning of rock history, rock really wasn't as poisonous as it is now. It was just simply a new, different way of singing and songwriting. Nothing evil or rebellious, though it was viewed as that right off the bat. People thought that the beat was simply not Christian and that no one should listen to it. I think that was in the early 40's. Later, in the 60's, it became connected to free love and drugs. However, there was still some good things about it. For instance, there was very little of this crash and burn stuff we now associate with rock. There was a do-your-own-thing attitude, but it wasn't ineherently evil. There was a lot of dreaming involved. For instance, today's artist Nickelback. They're very shallow. Not so then. People actually had things to say when they sang. They didn't just encourage suicide, the songs made you think. Oftentimes the singer or songwriter would recount a memory or tell a story. Other times it was just a warning about someone who had done them wrong. But it didn't-and doesn't-usually encourage rebellion.

How can classic rock be bad?

Like any other musical genre, it has its good and bad themes. Some artists are the pinnacle of precision and tuneful accuracy. Others, however, simply should not be heard by young people. Aerosmith is quite vocal about their one-night stands. Others like Van Halen are simply gritty-sounding, and parents who don't have an emotional attachment or lots of memories of listening to Van Halen may not want their kids exposed to their the-devil-may-care attitude.

My advice:
Be picky about what you listen to. Some have deeper meanings, both religiously and sexually. So listen up for alterior motives, and make sure you agree before you listen what point you'll turn it off at.

Bands to avoid: Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Foghat, and a few others. Of course, if you have emotional links to the music, it's your decision.

Overview of music part III: Hard rock

2005-11-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

Definition of musical genre; Hard rock
A musical genre seemingly dedicated to ensuring the rebellion of every teen in America

This musical genre can be found prevalently within this culture: The rebellious teen punk culture, which can be found anywhere.

How can hard rock be good?

Sometimes, all the artists want to demonstrate is an understandable anger or sadness. However, the bad far outweighs the good.

How can hard rock be bad?
Hard rock speaks to the rebellion inherent in every struggling teenager. It can push a teenager contemplating suicide over the edge, and it can bring a normally happy and submissive teen to rebellion or depression. It includes drugs in its total dismissal of all authority. It commands attention, or else. My personal taste has nothing to do with this. If you listen to hard rock, you will have negative results. If you live your life like they do, you will regret it. Some of the horrible practices encouraged include witchcraft, satanism and demonism.

My advice:

Avoid hard rock under all circumstances.

Bands to avoid include Korn, Staind, Disturbed (the name should be a warning), System of a Down, Seether, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle.

Do you think hard rock is not as bad as I say it is? Please let me know. Leave a comment and I'll try to look into it.

Overview of music part II: Country

2005-11-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Definition of musical genre: Country
A style of music with a distinct flavor of patriotism. A generally light-hearted style of music generally without electric guitar, but with fiddles and other traditional American instruments.

This musical genre can be found prevalently within this culture:
The American "redneck" culture. As a country artist once said, "both rap and country are about the streets. Except in rap, the streets are paved."

How can country be good?

Country can be very upbeat and encouraging. In fact, much of country is sung by very upright, moral artists who hold onto the core values that Americans should possess. They are patriotic and romantic, sometimes in the same song.
Country is never suicidal, only sad. Many of the artists place great faith in the human spirit and getting through tough times.

How can country be bad?

When country appeals to the more crass "redneck" side of America, things can get a little ugly. Country is somewhat of a feel-good genre...even to a fault. Some songs encourage crazed abandon of all morals and drinking until you pass out. Drinking songs are unfortunately more popular than they should be in country. Female country artists are more likely to encourage promiscuity.

My advice:

Be selective in any country you listen to. It can be influential in all the wrong ways. However, if you're looking for patriotic, easygoing music and upbeat messages, I would say that country is a great choice. This is probably the largest and most popular music genre that has managed to remain so non-sexually oriented. Just watch out for all that alcohol!

Bands and artists to avoid include Gretchen Wilson, Shania Twain, and some of Toby Keith's songs. Gary Allan also put out one horrifying song, but managed to redeem himself with a better song.

Check out this cool free internet country radio station. Click here.

Overview of music series part I: Rap

2005-11-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Definition of musical genre; Rap
Rap is a distinct musical genre combining voiced lyrics and a strong, heavy beat.

This musical genre can be found prevalently within this culture:The streets of large cities and the people who live on the streets. A large part of rap springs from gangs, drugs, and other negative elements.

How can rap be good?

Some rap can be encouraging. Like rappers who have realized that life is more valuable than street cred, and have turned their lives around or are trying to turn their lives around. This is good, but all rap does not fall into this category. Curse words outnumber words of hope 30 to 1 in rap. There is precious little hope for this musical genre.

How can rap be bad?

Rap has many negative aspects. It has its ups and downs. Unfortunately, its downs are far more prevalent than its ups. As mentioned before, the culture rap springs from is far from nourishing. There are drugs, guns, alcohol, and prostitution involved in many of the most popular rap songs on the charts today. I don't want to go deep into the bad end as far as lyrics, so I'll spare you the details. The point is, rappers don't care for morals as far as I can tell. That may be stereotypical, but for the most part, rappers are only interested in showing off their "street cred," as it's called. Street cred is any combination of criminal misdemeanors. Criminal pasts are nearly always praised. Misdemeanors are good, and the worse you are as far as the law goes, the better material you are for a rap song. If you have dealt drugs in the past, you are that much more popular in this culture. Promiscuity is promoted and applauded.

My advice:

This genre of music is not only disagreeable as far as the ear is concerned, but it is detrimental to core values every Christian should hold. Avoid it like the plague, or it will plague you.

Artists to avoid include Eminem (avoid at all costs!), 50 Cent, the Black Eyed Peas, Ciara, Missy Elliot, Pretty Ricky, Chris Brown and Sean Paul.

If you disagree with me on anything in this article, please let me know.

If by Rudyard Kipling

2005-11-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a man, my son!
~o~
I really like this poem. On the whole, this poem is based on some important biblical principles.

To start out with...
This poem shows some of the Biblical pronciples that we really need. At the beginning, where it mentions not dealing in lies after other people do that to you. That's an importantfactor. Matthew 5:39 says But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. This is what might be assumed is implied here. Don't return evil for evil, but rather overcome evil with good. I don't know what verse that is, but I know it's in the Bible.

Kipling also makes a point of admonishing vanity in the verse
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise
.

The next segment reminds us not to make every whim that comes along our goal in life. I'm not saying education is a whim-I know it isn't-but you can't make it your goal in life. Your goal in life should be to honor God and share the good news. Not even education can compare to that!

The last stanza shows the importance of guarding your heart. If you can protect your heart from your best friends and from your worst enemies, you are doing well. Of course, this isn't saying that you should never trust anyone-on the contrary, I would say that it is encouragement to give your heart to God so that man can't hurt it.

That's about all the Biblical principles I can wring out of this one. If you think I missed some, feel free to comment at the end of this article.

Laser tag!

2005-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a blast playing laser tag in Denver. At least, I did!
What a weird concept. I mean, it's really dark and there's fog and stuff, and there are blacklights, so your teeth glow. It's easy to see people, because they glow if they have the slightest trace of white on them, or if they have dust on their clothes (which everyone does, whether you can see it or not). But the weird part is that you run around shooting people and trying not to get shot. You're really not supposed to start a team, but you can have a mutual understanding that you won't shoot certain people and they won't shoot you. I don't think that's cheating. I hope not, anyway, because that's sort of what I did. Anyhow, if you've never played laser tag, I would highly suggest doing so!

Halloween essay

2005-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little late, but hopefully it will be informative. This article makes more sense than mine does, so I'll put it up here, too. I don't remember where I got it, but I give great credit to whoever wrote it!Implied: I didn't write this.
~o~

Halloween is celebrated by millions of people as a fun time for kids, putting on costumes, and going door-to-door to get candy. But it is also known as a time of witches, ghouls, goblins, and ghosts. On one hand, some see Halloween as a harmless time of fun and on the other, a ghastly and demonically inspired night to be avoided.
As Christians, there is a lot of debate on whether or not we should participate in Halloween. Is it alright to go trick-or-treating? Can we dress our kids up in costumes on that day? If we do any of this, are we celebrating an evil holiday?
The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1st. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31st, the Celts celebrated the end of summer. This was important because it was when animal herders would move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time of the crop harvests. This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain -- pronounced 'sow-ane' and means 'end of summer.' Sow rhythms with cow.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull practical jokes on others as a result.
Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the precursor to Trick-or Treat.
The Jack-0-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack to not allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.
So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions.
What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism, as in Exodus 22:18, You shall not let a witch live, or as in Deut. 18:10-12, "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(11) or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (12) Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD…."
The Bible definitely speaks negatively about cultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian's fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most Christians know this and avoid these activities. But, the question still remains. Since there are ancient pagan connections and present cultic connections, what should a Christian do?
Can a Christian celebrate Halloween? The answer is simple: Yes and No. Let’s look at the negative first.
The Christian is not to be involved with or support the occult, witchcraft, demonism, or any other thing that uplifts the occult. To do so is to contradict God’s word, dabble in demonic spirits, and invite judgment from God. If a Halloween celebration is centered on demons, devils, spirits, etc., I would say don't have anything to do with it.
On the other hand, it isn't wrong to dress up in a costume and go door-to-door saying 'Trick or Treat." Provided that the costume isn't demonic, I can't see anything wrong with this. It's just fun for the kids.
Take a look at the Christmas tree. It was originally an ancient fertility symbol. Yet, it has become a representation of Christmas and the place where gifts are placed. Are the Christians, then, paying homage to an ancient pagan fertility god? No. Not at all. They do not consider it pagan at all and are simply joining in on a cultural event and giving no honor to anything unbiblical.
In the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:23-33, Paul speaks about meat sacrificed to idols. This meat was often sold in the meat market and the question arose, "Should a Christian each such meat?"
Paul said in verse 25, "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake." This is most interesting. He says it is okay to eat the meat bought in the market place even though that meat may have been sacrificed to idols.
Then in verses 28-29 he says, "But if anyone should say to you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?" (NASB). Paul is saying that if you find out the meat was sacrificed to idols, don't eat it -- not because of you, but because of the other person. In other words, eating that meat won't affect you. But, it may affect the attitude of another who does not understand the freedom the Christian has in Christ.
Is it any different with Halloween (or Christmas)? No. Even though Halloween has pagan origins, because of your freedom in Christ, you and/or you kids can dress up in costumes and go door-to-door and just have fun. However, if you are not comfortable with doing this, then you should not. If you know of a person who would stumble by doing it, then you shouldn't either.

Ideas needed for interp speech!

2005-11-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be writing an interpretative speech, which is where you take a piece of classic literature and interpret it. I think I'll be doing the scene in The Hobbit where Bilbo is doing riddles with his dark friend, Gollum. I'm not doing any of the Lord of the Rings series because there are movies on them and I don't want to be compared to professional actors. But I needs some ideas. What other books are good and easily dramatized? I'll accept any suggestions!

One more thought before October departs...

2005-10-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was reading my history book today when I stumbled upon this interesting bit of news (or olds, whichever); Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, was a social outcast when he attacked Christianity publicly. Who, in today's society, would become a social outcast after dissing Christianity? On quite the other hand, I think it would elevate one's social status to laugh at the religion our founding fathers based this great nation on! How can we have fallen so far? This truly is the turning away.

Looking for an alternative to Nickelback? Try Creed

2005-10-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

After my initial review of Nickelback's latest CD, All the Right Reasons, I began pondering what I could listen to instead, that wouldn't be an affront to my morals or my sense of aesthetics, something not as shallow as Nickelback. The answer came to me when I was listening to the radio. The band was Creed, and the song title was Higher. Now, it may sound like a drug trip song, but it isn't. Listen to the first part of the refrain:

Can you take me higher
To the place where blind men see?
Can you take me higher
To the place with golden streets?

Well, a place with golden streets sounds to me a lot like heaven. And consider this; lead singer Scott Stapp was a professing Christian when he sang in Creed. He made a point of writing and singing very hopeful and Christian-lifestyle influenced songs. None of the songs by Creed encourage illegitimate sex, drugs, or revenge. They inspire hope, joy, and some very understandable sadness or loss. In their song One Last Breath, Scott intones the following;

I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace.

Now forgive me for thinking so, but that has a lot more depth and none of the suicidal notes of like-sounding bands Staind and Nickelback.
However, at times Creed hurts like everyone else. But they let it out constructively, asking God what He has in mind, like in Don't Stop Dancing.

At times life's unfair and you know it's plain to see
Hey, God, I know I'm just a dot in this world
Have you forgot about me?
Whatever life brings
I've been through everything
And know I'm on my knees again

Creed has depth, that can't be denied. But because of the somewhat grinding (yet certainly tuneful) guitars and Stapp's gritty vocals, many parents may be tempted to just turn it off. But consider this; Creed has earned much respect over the past few years, and though Stapp is no longer with his band, Creed CDs are available almost everywhere. ONE EXCEPTION to all this good stuff is the band's somewhat dark CD, My Own Prison.

On another note, Stapp wrote and sang the song With Arms Wide Open, about a young father and mother ready to learn to be good parents, to his son before he was born. Though Stapp and his wife are now divorced, Stapp is raising his son in the Christian lifestyle.

Thanks to Creed, kids can enjoy popular tunes like My Sacrifice without the negative impact of Staind, Korn (interesting story on them, too), or Nickelback.
Parents can rest assured that their kids will not be negatively influenced by Creed. Or, if you're willing to brave the guitars and vocals, you can pre-listen before you let your kids listen. But rest assured that Creed is not a shallow or suicidal band.

Superficiality in teenage relationships?

2005-10-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was reading this recommended article. And do you know what struck me? I was thinking, hm, this is interesting. I agree with her. But her article got me thinking. Why is there such superficiality in teenage relationships? Here's a hint:

Look around!!!

What do you see? And why shouldn't we buy it? Turn on the TV. Switch on the radio. Surf the web. What is our culture selling us? Why should people who lack a solid moral foundation have inhibitions against it?

Here's the deal. Teens buy what the culture sells. And the culture is selling flirtiness as a sign of social status, and kiss me is now a sign of progression. How can this be? Why have we fallen so low? And why do we think it's a new low?
Here's what I think.

Teens are not always the victims.
It has been established that the culture sells what we want, plus some. Apparently, what we want is loose sexual lifestyles. Our culture is only reflecting what we want, with a little added on. Whatever we want, our culture will give us x2. That's just the way it is.

Where are teens getting this superficiality?
They watch TV.
They listen to the radio.
They surf the web.
So what? So do their parents. My point is that teens get to be the way they are through several things. By their personality, and by their surroundings. That's about it. And when their surroundings are overriding their morals and their personalities, they become tools of the culture. They begin to absorb such valueless, hip things as one-night stands, optional obedience, smoking, drugs, and disobendience. All this from their surrounding culture, and what their parents haven't taught them. All this adds up to the potential downfall of America.

Point is, superficiality comes because people don't bother to teach teens what real relationships are. The culture we live in has cause massive decay in the fundamental core of relationships, and there is only one cure: Teach teens to start and carry through deep, meaningful relationships. What else is there to do? Criticizing them is not enough. If you're a Christian, it's your job to teach people your age how to live life meaningfully. I can never reiterate enough that criticizing is not enough!

What are you supposed to do before you grow up?

2005-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

There's a burning question that I think really deserves an answer. What are we supposed to do with ourselves before we grow up? Provided, of course, that you term "growing up" as reaching the old age of 25, not as absolute spiritual maturity. But before you reach the age of 25, or 20 even, you should learn a few simple things.

1. You are not number one in the world.
No matter what it feels like when you're a teenager, the world does not revolve around you. There are people with bigger, more pressing problems than yours. I say this not to discourage you, but because it's true. No, it doesn't mean your problems are unimportant or shallow. It simply means that not everyone can pay attention to you when you think you need it. Sorry. But it is an important concept. When you go out and start working, your boss may not really care about how your date last night went. If you want to record the things that happen to you so you don't forget them, then by all means, begin a journal. Girlish as it may sound, it is helpful.

2. You're going to have to assume more personal responsibilty than you have now.
It might feel like you've got the world on your shoulders with homework, siblings, friends, sports, and everything else, but sooner or later you're going to have to take a job and/or get married. This will sooner or later happen to everyone. Responsibility is a part of life. You will just have to accept that, and prepare for it by serving in your own home and assuming as much responsibility as you can handle. This requires more of you, but trust me, it's worth it. You get the trust of your parents, as well as being able to learn to deal with crying kids, burning cookies, and spilt canola oil.

3. Responsibility will reward you.
If you're responsible in your own home, as I've mentioned before, your parents learn to trust you-if you are truly responsible. Of course, no boy wants to babysit anymore than he absolutely has to, but it will help you prepare for when you are a dad.

My main point is that before you turn 25, you need to have responsibility. When you're responsible for anything, your bosses learn to appreciate your work. Of course, you also have to have a good work ethic, but that comes later.

Music review for Nickelback's All the Right Reasons

2005-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

My problem with Nickelback is that I've noticed they don't write any the deep stuff of yesterday. They don't pour their pain and sorrow or happiness into their songs. They sing about the disillusionment of youth. They sing about, well, purely adolescent issues. Puh-leeze. They're not kids anymore! I guess they still like to act like it, though. They act like sellouts. Why would you go deep when you can just scratch the surface? What I really don't like about this CD is that the guys sing about the same thing...over, and over, and over. There's no fear of being left wondering what Nickelback's songs are about, like lead vocalist Chad Kroeger dissed other bands for doing. If you listen to the lyrics, they're about the coarsest, most cliche subject ever, sex. What secular artist hasn't done at least one song, or maybe even a CD, about hot girls? Come on, guys. Get real. No one identifies with your music. I thought that was what you wanted from your fans! I thought you wanted to reach your fans on a deeper level than just partying. Well, there's no fear of that with this CD. Even though one of the most popular songs on the album, Photograph, shot straight up the charts, it has its own dose of rebellion-"Criminal record says I broke in twice/Must have done it half a dozen times." But anyone buying the CD based only on that song will be in for an unpleasant surprise. All the Right Reasons sounds like their past three albums. These guys need a constructive way of getting their feelings out. They shouldn't be singing.

2005-10-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have so much to do! Sometimes it seems like I'm swimming in an ocean of geometry, history, speech, and debate. There is no end! I finish geometry and start history. I finish history and start memorizing my speech. I memorize as much as I possibly can and then it's time for supper. After supper I clear up the dishes and load the dishwasher. Does anyone else feel like this? Any other teenagers? I know lots of teenagers go to public school, but even there it must be just as hard, if not harder. I don't know if I'll be able to keep my grades up this year. I hope I can! Mom keeps telling me that this is a very important year and I need to do a good job. But how can I if I have so much to do?? Hmmm. Well, it can only get worse. I'd better cheer up-after all these are the carefree days of my childhood! If these are the carefree days of my childhood, then I really don't want to see what it's like when I grow up.

Degree or Kind?

2005-10-27T21:47:00.000-06:00

Isn't nature beautiful? Step outside and feel the cold fall air. Look at the changing leaves. Admire the red sunset. It really is beautiful. Why do we appreciate its beauty? How is it that we understand when something is beautiful and when it is not? What is it that inclines us toward the pretty and not towards the simple, mundane, or just downright ugly? We appreciate intricacy and creativity. We thrive on beautiful things. But we have no way of knowing exactly why we care so much or what it is that drives us to seek beauty. Could it be our evolved sense of aesthetics? How is it that animals are not attracted to beautiful things? Aren't they evolved, too? I guess what I'm really getting at is: What makes humans different from animals? If evolutionists would have their way, they would have us believe that we are super evolved animals. We bear resemblance to animals, but we are much different. For one thing, we're much smarter than they are. We have huge buildings and we have computers. I say this not to glorify man, but to emphasize the difference between man and animals. Is it a difference of degree or kind?
By degree, we are much smarter than animals. But that isn't the only thing that makes us different.
By kind, we are not animals. We are something completely different, something with a sense of aesthetics, a sense of morals, a sense of humor, a sense of kindness, and we all have values, whether we admit it or not. Our values dictate our feelings, and how we treat other people. But what I'm trying to say is that we are not animals. We are unique. A very valuable book says that man has eternity engraved on his heart. Animals do not. You can tell that from the way they exist day to day, taking what they need, sometimes planning a little ahead, but mostly focused only on the here and now. Humans, on the other hand, pause and reflect on life and the way things are going in our lives. We wonder about our future. That's what we do in school; prepare for whatever our future may hold. I think anyone, evolutionist or not, could easily say that animals do not attend school. They prepare for their future by learning to kill things. But their parents don't worry about them when they don't do quite well enough. Their parents don't really care whether their offspring have a better life than they do. And of course, animals don't pause in front of a beautiful sunset just to watch it. Humans are special.

Humans have a different agenda in life. They want to find meaning before they die. There is no man-made meaning to life, I can tell you that right off the bat. But what is there?
I'll have to leave you hanging in suspense. I really need to get ready for bed! Until later.

This is weird...

2005-10-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

There is something weird about this whole life thing. Every notice that life sucks? I don't normally use that word, because it doesn't make sense to me. But if it makes sense to you, I'll use it. Life does suck. Our friends and relatives die. We lose our jobs. We get divorced. We break up with close friends. We argue. Other people stab us in the back. We feel so lonely we could die. At least almost all the things beforementioned have happened to me, except for losing my job. That happened to my dad. But I know that you can identify with at least a few of the aforementioned circumstances. Why do we feel lonely? Why do we break up or divorce? What makes us that way and why do we have to deal with it? The answer is not fun. It isn't cheerful and it doesn't give you higher self esteem or save you money on car insurance. So what good is it? Well, if you would mind continuing reading, I will hopefully be able to illuminate to you just exactly what it is that we need to have and are born without in *drumroll*
This is Weird...Part II. Read on!

What is up with that?

2005-10-27T15:00:00.000-06:00

Today, the term "What is up with that?" is more common in America than it really should be. Like when we see abortion clinics thriving and test scores falling, that is often when we ask, "What is up with that?". Like when we see one or two people who can't stand prayer dictate what thousands of people will or will not do, that prompts the question, "What is up with that?". I can tell that people overseas can ask without bias or hatred towards America, "What is up with that?"

And it does beg the question; What is up with us? Have we really fallen so far as to completely aboandon the principles that made our nation great? Why would we do such a thing? Will we really leave the once proud and decidedly Christian country of yesterday in the dust of the new and hedonistic country of today? What would posess us to believe that living a lie is better than being convicted by truth? What would make us want to desert the very God that made us great for the lie that felled the "eternal" Roman empire? Don't we learn from history anymore? In my opinion, I believe that such is the case. How could we learn from history, yet allow all the things that we are allowing? There is no other explanation of why we are allowing homosexuality anywhere. The "unshakable" Roman Empire allowed first infanticide, then homosexuality. And then their empire was destroyed. If you can with a straight face tell anyone that we are not following the same path the Romans did, I don't know what I'll do. This can't go on. Judgement is sure, and it will be swift. There will be no time for repentance at the end. And with that, I bid you farewell. But before I go, I have just one more thing to ask you;

What is up with America?

Weather themes in music?

2005-10-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

So I was sitting at the computer, listening to Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends, and I was thinking, someone needs to tell these guys that September ended about a month ago. And, by the way, if they're singing a song, it implies that they're awake. But that's just me. Does anyone else think that's weird? I mean, why would you write and perform a great song, just to have it laughed at because it isn't September anymore. That's like Craig Morgan's Redneck Yacht Club. It's winter, ok? And what about Allan Jackson's Summertime Blues? It's not smart to name your song or to sing about some seasonal event, unless it's Christmas or Easter. And besides, not many people are interested in a song that's whining about how hot it is when it's -14 degrees outside. That's not connecting with your listeners! But hey, I'm not a music artist. I just listen to it and criticize it.

Maybe someday I could start my own band. I wouldn't have to go to college, or try to be patient with an abyssymal boss. That beats earning $5.40 an hour. If only I could write songs! Oh, well. I'll start a band, learn to play drums, piano and guitar, and then I can find someone who writes really good songs. I can't decide if I should do that or be a mom. I'll see.

First post

2005-10-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

No matter where this post shows up in my blog, it's my first one. We just got DSL, and I'm really excited about it. It makes it easier to use this site, so that's what I plan to do. I think in this blog I'll do stuff like review movies and music and stuff. I always thought that would be rather fun, and I didn't get into journalism class this year. I'm taking art instead! I can't say I'm disappointed about that; art is one of my favorite subjects.
But since I'm not in journalism class, I would like to also review the latest news and who's blaming who. Please be aware that I take a conservative standpoint on almost all of today's issues. I'm tired of liberal news that just doesn't look at both sides of the story. But I digress.
Anyhow, I'll try to post something in here at least every two or three days. THere are a lot of big news stories floating around right now, and I'm hoping that critiquing them will help me understand them at least a little!

But for now, adieu. I will hopefully put an important article here sometime soon.