Thursday was Disneyland. =) After class my brother, sister, and I drove down and met up with the rest of my family, and friend Mary. Overall a very fun day! The reason I bring it up is the park's theme: "The Happiest Place on Earth". I have to admit, going into the day my goal was to get as many candid pictures as I could of people not being happy. We only had a few hours of daylight, so that goal didn't work out. Although I did get some pretty grumpy photos of random people. =P
Anyway, to the reason I'm talking about this: One of my biggest pet peeves is rude customers. They take the form of coffee shop goers, vacationers, people standing in the check out line, etc. Yesterday they took the form of fellow riders on Indiana Jones. You see, the ride broke down right when we were entering the good part. In total we sat there at least 15 minutes. Not bad for someone who is patient. But the people behind us - bless their souls - whined and complained the whole time...and then they wanted free tickets for their "inconvenience." Some people. I'll stop talking before I say anything worse about them. =P
MUSIC: Just recently an awesome voice/musician was brought to my attention! His name's Nizlopi...I guess he had a big hit in "JCB" awhile back; and I can see why. It's a great folksy song. :) A friend just showed me the video, and I've been listening to his other stuff too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3WhQB7Hq0Q
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
soli...what?
Today and yesterday can be summarized with the following words: old earth vs. new earth, tea party, dill, goldfish, Jakob Dylan, and solipsism.
First, old earth vs. new earth... in Understanding the Times today, we were talking about differing opinions of creation within Christianity. One specific example of proof for an old earth was the speed of light in relation to stars. If a star is a million lightyears away, it would take a million years for its light to reach earth. We were asked to come up with an explanation for this...and the answer we came up with was a question: which came first, the chick or the egg? If we believe in Creation (which we do), the answer is obviously the chicken. God didn't create life at its very beginning. He didn't create babies, he created Adam and Eve as adults. THUS, He obviously could've just as easily created the universe with light already traveled. There was a scientific sounding theory name for all this, but I can't remember it. Anyways, it was a great discussion!
In between UTT and Mock Trial, I had a tea party. That's right! Full blown with a tablecloth, teacups, saucers, and platters of cookies and such. I got a few people that were waiting between classes to join me; I'd have to say it was a success! I brought Earl Grey, and a friend of mine brought chai. Two good things in one hour. :) Call me gay, I don't care. It was fun. =P
Last night was the monthly World Affairs Club through my school. Once a month highschoolers get together for a different global themed dinner/meeting. Last night the *theme* was Russian, and the presentation was on the international system. Dinner was amazing. Why? Because there was fresh dill in everything except the tea and the dessert. For those of you who don't know, I absolutely love pickles. It was a pickle-lover's heaven. First was soup...not even sure what kind it was, but it was amazing and very dill-tasting. Second was a bell pepper salad with (you guessed it) fresh dill! Then there was chicken stuffed with...what was that ingredient again? Oh yeah! Dill. ^^
Today was philosophy at UCOM (University of California Moopark). We were talking about different views towards reason vs. senses. There was skepticism, empiricalism, rationalism, and realism... but the one sub-category that interested me the most was called solipsism. This is the belief that YOU are the only one in existence, and that everything that is NOT you is a creation of your mind. Now, I love my philosophy prof. First day of class he all but called reletavism idiotic. Today, he said that it is "absolutely stupid" to argue that the mind is not real. It can't be done. I'd apply that statement to solipsism. How in the world do you tell someone that they are not real, and expect them to agree with you? Ludicrious is the word I would use. What cracked me up the most was that there are thousands of people that believe in solipsism. You know what I want to see? Two solipsists in a room, arguing with eachother about the exsitence of eachother. It would be an impossible conversation.
MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: At the beginning of last summer, I came across a wonderful accoustic artist. His name is Jakob Dylan... he's the son of Bob Dylan, but they don't have the same sound at allll... so if you're not a Bob Dylan fan, don't be put off by the name. He started off in The Wallflowers... which I also recommend, since it's his voice too. I think it was just last year when he split off and started out on his own. He's got great accoustic music, and an amazing voice. If I had to equate him with another artist, I'd say he's the James Taylor of the 21st century. He only has one album, "Seeing Things", which came out in 2008. He has a couple singles and an EP too on Itunes. Most *definitely* worth the 10 bucks you'll spend! If you want to hear a couple of his songs, send me an email! I listened to him on and off in the car yesterday, and then "Something Good This Way Comes" was on in Trader Joe's this morning, so I thought I'd share with you all!
----------
Best Photo of 2008 #4!
Last semester we had a surprise dinner/swing 16th birthday party for a friend of mine that recently moved up to Santa Maria. It was *amazingly* fancy, and the swing dancing was just joyous. This is Annelise and I attempting a lift, I think. =P
First, old earth vs. new earth... in Understanding the Times today, we were talking about differing opinions of creation within Christianity. One specific example of proof for an old earth was the speed of light in relation to stars. If a star is a million lightyears away, it would take a million years for its light to reach earth. We were asked to come up with an explanation for this...and the answer we came up with was a question: which came first, the chick or the egg? If we believe in Creation (which we do), the answer is obviously the chicken. God didn't create life at its very beginning. He didn't create babies, he created Adam and Eve as adults. THUS, He obviously could've just as easily created the universe with light already traveled. There was a scientific sounding theory name for all this, but I can't remember it. Anyways, it was a great discussion!
In between UTT and Mock Trial, I had a tea party. That's right! Full blown with a tablecloth, teacups, saucers, and platters of cookies and such. I got a few people that were waiting between classes to join me; I'd have to say it was a success! I brought Earl Grey, and a friend of mine brought chai. Two good things in one hour. :) Call me gay, I don't care. It was fun. =P
Last night was the monthly World Affairs Club through my school. Once a month highschoolers get together for a different global themed dinner/meeting. Last night the *theme* was Russian, and the presentation was on the international system. Dinner was amazing. Why? Because there was fresh dill in everything except the tea and the dessert. For those of you who don't know, I absolutely love pickles. It was a pickle-lover's heaven. First was soup...not even sure what kind it was, but it was amazing and very dill-tasting. Second was a bell pepper salad with (you guessed it) fresh dill! Then there was chicken stuffed with...what was that ingredient again? Oh yeah! Dill. ^^
Today was philosophy at UCOM (University of California Moopark). We were talking about different views towards reason vs. senses. There was skepticism, empiricalism, rationalism, and realism... but the one sub-category that interested me the most was called solipsism. This is the belief that YOU are the only one in existence, and that everything that is NOT you is a creation of your mind. Now, I love my philosophy prof. First day of class he all but called reletavism idiotic. Today, he said that it is "absolutely stupid" to argue that the mind is not real. It can't be done. I'd apply that statement to solipsism. How in the world do you tell someone that they are not real, and expect them to agree with you? Ludicrious is the word I would use. What cracked me up the most was that there are thousands of people that believe in solipsism. You know what I want to see? Two solipsists in a room, arguing with eachother about the exsitence of eachother. It would be an impossible conversation.
MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: At the beginning of last summer, I came across a wonderful accoustic artist. His name is Jakob Dylan... he's the son of Bob Dylan, but they don't have the same sound at allll... so if you're not a Bob Dylan fan, don't be put off by the name. He started off in The Wallflowers... which I also recommend, since it's his voice too. I think it was just last year when he split off and started out on his own. He's got great accoustic music, and an amazing voice. If I had to equate him with another artist, I'd say he's the James Taylor of the 21st century. He only has one album, "Seeing Things", which came out in 2008. He has a couple singles and an EP too on Itunes. Most *definitely* worth the 10 bucks you'll spend! If you want to hear a couple of his songs, send me an email! I listened to him on and off in the car yesterday, and then "Something Good This Way Comes" was on in Trader Joe's this morning, so I thought I'd share with you all!
----------
Best Photo of 2008 #4!
Last semester we had a surprise dinner/swing 16th birthday party for a friend of mine that recently moved up to Santa Maria. It was *amazingly* fancy, and the swing dancing was just joyous. This is Annelise and I attempting a lift, I think. =P
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Grape juice!
Todaaaay was amazing. First of all, it was all about prayer. The message in church this morning was on prayer, in three facets: Pray alone, pray with others, and pray for the glory of God. The thing was, it wasn't one of those abstract sermons that you go away feeling good about but not really planning to do anything. It was *all* about the practical application. I was so encouraged and motivated! We people have no idea how powerful prayer is. To top that, Conejo Valley had a prayer night at EV Free. Man, was that amazing. Around 300 people showed up, all for the purpose of prayer. We gathered in small circles around the room. I hadn't ever met anyone in my circle (with the exception of my sister), but that made it even more effective. Here we were, strangers in one sense, but brothers and sisters in another, more important sense. We prayed for outreach, boldness for the Church, and productivity of the Believers. It was an intense, amazing night. =)
Secondly, this afternoon was amazing! The Welches, good friends from Santa Maria, were in town, so a bunch of families got together for lunch and SWING! Ah man, that was joyously fun. Some of the friends there have been taking the swing class at Moorpark with me, and those who havn't caught on real quick! I first learned swing/ballroom a little over two years ago, and it's been one of my favorite hobbies ever since. It was a great time to get together with a big group like that. I had the honor of dancing with Rachel, Genna, Gracie, Sara, Annelise, Karissa, Liza, and my two sisters Kasey and Keliann. I even taught a couple of them a lift we call the "chapstick", and showed Genna and Annie how to waltz. Music used ranged from The W's to Brian Setzer to oldies like Pearl Bailey (we also used Seal for waltzing). Hopefully I'll have pictures up soon!
Best photo of 08 #3:
In September, I took a short but sweet trip up north to Washington. I got to see a few of my friends in "Beauty and the Beast", and some of us got together at La Hacienda, my favourite mexican restraunt in Washington.
--------------------------
(A few months ago on facebook I wrote a note with these random 16ish facts about myself. I'm pretty sure Karissa was the one that started this... I thought it was pretty funny/interesting.)
#1: I have a microwave sitting in my room. I'd use it, but it doesn't have a fuse. If you want to hear the story, just ask. =P
#2: My brother and I have two pet green monkeys named Rego and Mr. Verde. I keep Mr. Verde.
#3: If I hear/read a quote I like, I write it down on an index card and post it over my headboard (the credit for this one goes to Jeff Valentine. If you don't know him, you should). One of my favourites: "It is not given to man to begin; that privilege is God's alone. But it is given to man to begin again - and he does so every time he chooses to defy death and side with the living." -Elie Wiesel
#4: The British have better spelling. Fact. favourite and colour, especially. The "u" in there just makes the word so much richer.
#5: I'm one of those people that say they can smell coldness. If you know what I'm talking about, props to you.
#6: I like to cough obnoxiously loud when I pass people who are smoking. I consider it my contribution to saving the world from global warming.
#7: I have to get up from bed on an "exact" time. no odd numbers. If it's 7:57, I have to wait for 7:58.
#8: I'm a picky tea drinker. Sadaf and Market Spice are my favourites. ^^ and I drink my coffee black. I don't like most the foo-foo stuff Starbucks makes... their latte type stuffus is a different deal. Oh, and I love Jamba. Orange Dream Machine.
#9: Don't call me OCD, but I can't stand it when the prof/teacher doesn't erase the blackboard all the way.
#10: When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I was abducted by an alien spacecraft. (....not really. Just wanted to see if you're paying attention. ;-) and props if you get what that's a reference to...
#11: I love cheese. And pickles. And cheese and pickles together. Seriously, one of the best combination ever. And putting the olives on your fingertips make them taste oh so better.
#12: My musical tastes vary very greatly (yes, that was on purpose =p). The two only two genres that I pretty much dislike completely are rap and country (with the exception of some hilarious ones.) I think my biggest love is Indie-ish/Solo guitarist singers. OME, Blind Pilot, Alexi Murdoch, Jakob Dylan, Waterdeep, Athlete, and such. And then the not so Indie-ish but equally amazing...Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Muse, Death Cab, Lifehouse, etc. #12 part B: I love talking about music..hint hint..
#13: Satisfying years worth of curiosity, I finally counted how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. (513). You can be all technical, but I'm sticking with that number.
#in-between 13 and 14: In my younger years, I started a band with some buddies in the car on the way home from a field trip to the Washington State Capital. We even got one song down: "There's a path goin' along, it's a rocky rocky path, it may look bad but it's good! If you head just straight it'll be alright, cuz the Lord is at your side! Hallelujah! (x3)"
#14: I'm not that great of a gift-giver (as some of my closest friends will testify...you know who you are.) I think forgetting is my excuse. If that even is one. And I hate giving impersonal gifts. It's like saying "Here, I only love you this much."
#15: Some of my pet peeves include: companies playing on words (i.e. "We put the FUN in fundraiser!" urgugh. what the duce is a draiser?) ...bumper stickers with tiny lettering. If you're gonna put it on your car, at least make it so other drivers can actually read it. ...blow-up Christmas decorations. I punched a Santa face yesterday.
#16: This one's a bit hard to explain, but I'll try: Usually when I'm in the car, I have a beat going inside my head, and I try and match the beat with the passing lines, trees, lightposts, etc. So sometimes I get unnecessarily bugged when the driver slows down or speeds up, cuz it throws off the matching.
#17 (cuz I cheated on 10): I will (and do) got a good distance out of my way to step on a crunchy looking leaf. (and I don't like wearing shoes much. But not nearly as much as Noah Elhardt. Props, man. =)
Secondly, this afternoon was amazing! The Welches, good friends from Santa Maria, were in town, so a bunch of families got together for lunch and SWING! Ah man, that was joyously fun. Some of the friends there have been taking the swing class at Moorpark with me, and those who havn't caught on real quick! I first learned swing/ballroom a little over two years ago, and it's been one of my favorite hobbies ever since. It was a great time to get together with a big group like that. I had the honor of dancing with Rachel, Genna, Gracie, Sara, Annelise, Karissa, Liza, and my two sisters Kasey and Keliann. I even taught a couple of them a lift we call the "chapstick", and showed Genna and Annie how to waltz. Music used ranged from The W's to Brian Setzer to oldies like Pearl Bailey (we also used Seal for waltzing). Hopefully I'll have pictures up soon!
Best photo of 08 #3:
In September, I took a short but sweet trip up north to Washington. I got to see a few of my friends in "Beauty and the Beast", and some of us got together at La Hacienda, my favourite mexican restraunt in Washington.
--------------------------
(A few months ago on facebook I wrote a note with these random 16ish facts about myself. I'm pretty sure Karissa was the one that started this... I thought it was pretty funny/interesting.)
#1: I have a microwave sitting in my room. I'd use it, but it doesn't have a fuse. If you want to hear the story, just ask. =P
#2: My brother and I have two pet green monkeys named Rego and Mr. Verde. I keep Mr. Verde.
#3: If I hear/read a quote I like, I write it down on an index card and post it over my headboard (the credit for this one goes to Jeff Valentine. If you don't know him, you should). One of my favourites: "It is not given to man to begin; that privilege is God's alone. But it is given to man to begin again - and he does so every time he chooses to defy death and side with the living." -Elie Wiesel
#4: The British have better spelling. Fact. favourite and colour, especially. The "u" in there just makes the word so much richer.
#5: I'm one of those people that say they can smell coldness. If you know what I'm talking about, props to you.
#6: I like to cough obnoxiously loud when I pass people who are smoking. I consider it my contribution to saving the world from global warming.
#7: I have to get up from bed on an "exact" time. no odd numbers. If it's 7:57, I have to wait for 7:58.
#8: I'm a picky tea drinker. Sadaf and Market Spice are my favourites. ^^ and I drink my coffee black. I don't like most the foo-foo stuff Starbucks makes... their latte type stuffus is a different deal. Oh, and I love Jamba. Orange Dream Machine.
#9: Don't call me OCD, but I can't stand it when the prof/teacher doesn't erase the blackboard all the way.
#10: When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I was abducted by an alien spacecraft. (....not really. Just wanted to see if you're paying attention. ;-) and props if you get what that's a reference to...
#11: I love cheese. And pickles. And cheese and pickles together. Seriously, one of the best combination ever. And putting the olives on your fingertips make them taste oh so better.
#12: My musical tastes vary very greatly (yes, that was on purpose =p). The two only two genres that I pretty much dislike completely are rap and country (with the exception of some hilarious ones.) I think my biggest love is Indie-ish/Solo guitarist singers. OME, Blind Pilot, Alexi Murdoch, Jakob Dylan, Waterdeep, Athlete, and such. And then the not so Indie-ish but equally amazing...Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Muse, Death Cab, Lifehouse, etc. #12 part B: I love talking about music..hint hint..
#13: Satisfying years worth of curiosity, I finally counted how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. (513). You can be all technical, but I'm sticking with that number.
#in-between 13 and 14: In my younger years, I started a band with some buddies in the car on the way home from a field trip to the Washington State Capital. We even got one song down: "There's a path goin' along, it's a rocky rocky path, it may look bad but it's good! If you head just straight it'll be alright, cuz the Lord is at your side! Hallelujah! (x3)"
#14: I'm not that great of a gift-giver (as some of my closest friends will testify...you know who you are.) I think forgetting is my excuse. If that even is one. And I hate giving impersonal gifts. It's like saying "Here, I only love you this much."
#15: Some of my pet peeves include: companies playing on words (i.e. "We put the FUN in fundraiser!" urgugh. what the duce is a draiser?) ...bumper stickers with tiny lettering. If you're gonna put it on your car, at least make it so other drivers can actually read it. ...blow-up Christmas decorations. I punched a Santa face yesterday.
#16: This one's a bit hard to explain, but I'll try: Usually when I'm in the car, I have a beat going inside my head, and I try and match the beat with the passing lines, trees, lightposts, etc. So sometimes I get unnecessarily bugged when the driver slows down or speeds up, cuz it throws off the matching.
#17 (cuz I cheated on 10): I will (and do) got a good distance out of my way to step on a crunchy looking leaf. (and I don't like wearing shoes much. But not nearly as much as Noah Elhardt. Props, man. =)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Magical?
I took the SAT for the 3rd time today. Now, I don't like the test any more than anyone else, but my attitude has been "Well, I gotta take it. So I'd better 1) Do my best, and 2) Find something that's entertaining about it". Time will tell if I succeeded at the first. But at the second, I most definitely succeeded. The second time I took it, there was a guy that fell asleep in the middle of a section. It took all I had to keep from laughing outright. As sad and petty as it is, that made me feel better about how I was doing on the test. Also, some of the excerpts they use for the reading section are actually really interesting! I've learned a lot through them (such as: Did you know Helen Keller was a radical socialist? =P) One excerpt in today's test topped all. It was from the book 'Orlando', written by Virginia Woolf. I'm a bit sketchy on the details of the plot, but basically the protagonist decides to live forever; in this quote, she's comparing 18th century with the current time (which I think, at the time of the novel, is late 1920's).
"The very fabric of life now, she thought as she rose, is magic. In the 18th century, we knew how everything was done; but here I rise through the air; I listen to voices in America; I see men flying - but how it's done, I can't even begin to wonder. So my belief in magic returns."
I've always loved thinking about what it would be like for an individual from the 18th or 19th century to come to the 21st century. There are so many things in modern life that we take for granted: escalators, elevators, telephones, the internet, computers, airplanes, cars, electricity, speakers, microphones, and cameras, to name a few. For someone to jump from a world without any of that to a world where it is not just prevalent, but almost mundane, is unthinkable. Like Woolf's character said, a belief in magic would be necessary.
Yesterday I finished 'The Shack'. The rest of my family had read it before me, and I had recieved mixed messages from them about the book. The main idea of the book is to reveal theological truths about God through conversations between the Trinity and the protagonist. Honestly, the writing was a little above horrible, though right on that teetering edge. If it's possible, the dialog sounded like bad acting. This said, the content was really quite interesting. The author portrays God in some very untraditional ways. In order to get a full picture, you'd have to read the book yourself, and I encourage you to. I don't think I agree with all that is said by the "God" characters, but I can see what the author is getting at. If you have the time this semester, pick it up and read it! It's the kind of book that, in order to grasp it's full potential, must be discussed with other readers and critics.
Today I discovered an amazing new combination for lunch. ^^ Tomato soup and toast with cream cheese. Ahhh, so yummy. Perfect combination. I have a cold, so maybe the cream cheese and milk in the soup was not the best for sinuses, but it was way worth it.
Note for all above: When I say 'today', I mean the 24th. This isn't posted until 1 AM... we were watching a most amusing movie (The Sasquatch Gang). Same vibe as Napoleon Dynamite, but much more tasteful and worthwhile.
-----
Here's another top 20 photo! This was sometime last spring... California made a sudden decision to rain, and some of my friends and I made a sudden decision to take advantage of it by going to the beach. :) This is at El Matador, California, jumping down into the sand.
"The very fabric of life now, she thought as she rose, is magic. In the 18th century, we knew how everything was done; but here I rise through the air; I listen to voices in America; I see men flying - but how it's done, I can't even begin to wonder. So my belief in magic returns."
I've always loved thinking about what it would be like for an individual from the 18th or 19th century to come to the 21st century. There are so many things in modern life that we take for granted: escalators, elevators, telephones, the internet, computers, airplanes, cars, electricity, speakers, microphones, and cameras, to name a few. For someone to jump from a world without any of that to a world where it is not just prevalent, but almost mundane, is unthinkable. Like Woolf's character said, a belief in magic would be necessary.
Yesterday I finished 'The Shack'. The rest of my family had read it before me, and I had recieved mixed messages from them about the book. The main idea of the book is to reveal theological truths about God through conversations between the Trinity and the protagonist. Honestly, the writing was a little above horrible, though right on that teetering edge. If it's possible, the dialog sounded like bad acting. This said, the content was really quite interesting. The author portrays God in some very untraditional ways. In order to get a full picture, you'd have to read the book yourself, and I encourage you to. I don't think I agree with all that is said by the "God" characters, but I can see what the author is getting at. If you have the time this semester, pick it up and read it! It's the kind of book that, in order to grasp it's full potential, must be discussed with other readers and critics.
Today I discovered an amazing new combination for lunch. ^^ Tomato soup and toast with cream cheese. Ahhh, so yummy. Perfect combination. I have a cold, so maybe the cream cheese and milk in the soup was not the best for sinuses, but it was way worth it.
Note for all above: When I say 'today', I mean the 24th. This isn't posted until 1 AM... we were watching a most amusing movie (The Sasquatch Gang). Same vibe as Napoleon Dynamite, but much more tasteful and worthwhile.
-----
Here's another top 20 photo! This was sometime last spring... California made a sudden decision to rain, and some of my friends and I made a sudden decision to take advantage of it by going to the beach. :) This is at El Matador, California, jumping down into the sand.
Friday, January 23, 2009
P.S.
So, I do have a lot of things I want to talk about, whether it's things that've been on my mind in the last few months, experiences, music, movies, whatever. But I'll be taking them one at a time over the next couple weeks. Just an FYI. (Subjects to come = Mah Jong, photography, my grandma's memorial service, sonnet 18, and secular vs. christian schools.)
Viva
I'm just starting this out, so I don't have something specific to talk about as of now.
but
I have a few random thoughts, just to sort of give a context. Thoughts on politics, on people, on music, and on photos.
1) Barack Obama is no longer just Barack Obama. He is President Barack Obama. Most of you know that I was completely set against him getting into the White House, but I'm not the kind to take a defeatist attitude. What's done is done, and like always God's will is working. One of my biggest political pet peeves during the Bush era was people bad-mouthing the President. I don't care if you agree with his politics or not; he was elected by majority, so at least respect him for crying out loud. Go through the correct political channels for change, don't gripe to your neighbor about the actions he takes. All that to say, that's the view I have towards Obama. I don't have a lot of respect for his politics, but I will do my best to respect him as a leader. And he'll have to earn my respect for his actions (which remains to be seen). Inauguration Day was a proud day for America, no doubt of it. It showed the world that no one is barred from becoming President in this country, and it showed America herself how blessed she really is. And that's all I have to say about that.
2) Best new album of 2008: Viva la Vida. I know a lot of people like it, and it might be considered cliche, but you have to admit it's good stuff. I think I like Coldplay's old sound a bit better, but they came up with an amazing, original, earpleasing sound for this new album. Props and kudos.
Best discovered indie group of 2008: Blind Pilot. With Waterdeep coming in close second (thanks to Karissa.) If you havn't heard them, do, and let me know what you think! Talking music is one of my favourite things to do. ^^
3) I love studying people. People watching, reading log books, reading blogs, things like that. Right after the new year, I took a trip out to the Mojave with my brother and some friends. We came across two random and amazing sites: one was an abandoned miner's cabin, the other was dubbed "Hotel California", with a large wooden sign to prove the name. Both of them had several notebooks full of visitor's comments and thoughts. I spent as long as I could reading through the logs...man, was it interesting. One person said something along the lines of "This represents a beautiful side to humanity; we are able to keep a place like this, sharing it with everyone, without worrying about damage. I enjoy coming here every year with my family." Another note was a political jab at Bill Clinton, implying he was on a road trip with Monica. I laughed out loud at that. =P There were some very abstract writings as well... I took a photo of one poem, which I'm pretty sure was original work. I really liked it.
Words, My desert wind Caress, pass, hurry along Traipse, vanish Rocks and gentle sentinels (Outlines, vistas, smoke): I too came for a visit My words a clumsy conjuring, My sunburn honest Glowing, solar laughter A garment made of air and god. -Mostly Anonymous
4) Photos! I'm trying to narrow all the pictures of 2008 down into a list of 25 favourites. Don't know if I can get it down that far, but I'll try. I'll post them over the next few posts, but here's the first one! In august, I went to Mongolia on a mission trip. This is Rachel, a friend of mine, and Sierra, the missionary family's little girl. It just screams joyfulness. :)
but
I have a few random thoughts, just to sort of give a context. Thoughts on politics, on people, on music, and on photos.
1) Barack Obama is no longer just Barack Obama. He is President Barack Obama. Most of you know that I was completely set against him getting into the White House, but I'm not the kind to take a defeatist attitude. What's done is done, and like always God's will is working. One of my biggest political pet peeves during the Bush era was people bad-mouthing the President. I don't care if you agree with his politics or not; he was elected by majority, so at least respect him for crying out loud. Go through the correct political channels for change, don't gripe to your neighbor about the actions he takes. All that to say, that's the view I have towards Obama. I don't have a lot of respect for his politics, but I will do my best to respect him as a leader. And he'll have to earn my respect for his actions (which remains to be seen). Inauguration Day was a proud day for America, no doubt of it. It showed the world that no one is barred from becoming President in this country, and it showed America herself how blessed she really is. And that's all I have to say about that.
2) Best new album of 2008: Viva la Vida. I know a lot of people like it, and it might be considered cliche, but you have to admit it's good stuff. I think I like Coldplay's old sound a bit better, but they came up with an amazing, original, earpleasing sound for this new album. Props and kudos.
Best discovered indie group of 2008: Blind Pilot. With Waterdeep coming in close second (thanks to Karissa.) If you havn't heard them, do, and let me know what you think! Talking music is one of my favourite things to do. ^^
3) I love studying people. People watching, reading log books, reading blogs, things like that. Right after the new year, I took a trip out to the Mojave with my brother and some friends. We came across two random and amazing sites: one was an abandoned miner's cabin, the other was dubbed "Hotel California", with a large wooden sign to prove the name. Both of them had several notebooks full of visitor's comments and thoughts. I spent as long as I could reading through the logs...man, was it interesting. One person said something along the lines of "This represents a beautiful side to humanity; we are able to keep a place like this, sharing it with everyone, without worrying about damage. I enjoy coming here every year with my family." Another note was a political jab at Bill Clinton, implying he was on a road trip with Monica. I laughed out loud at that. =P There were some very abstract writings as well... I took a photo of one poem, which I'm pretty sure was original work. I really liked it.
Words, My desert wind Caress, pass, hurry along Traipse, vanish Rocks and gentle sentinels (Outlines, vistas, smoke): I too came for a visit My words a clumsy conjuring, My sunburn honest Glowing, solar laughter A garment made of air and god. -Mostly Anonymous
4) Photos! I'm trying to narrow all the pictures of 2008 down into a list of 25 favourites. Don't know if I can get it down that far, but I'll try. I'll post them over the next few posts, but here's the first one! In august, I went to Mongolia on a mission trip. This is Rachel, a friend of mine, and Sierra, the missionary family's little girl. It just screams joyfulness. :)
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