This is Important

I woke up this morning to find the news that Israel has launched air attacks against Hamas compounds in Gaza. There seems to be a group of people who have a general dislike for Israel in the world so when stuff like this happens I get nervous. Iran has been threatening to destroy Israel for years. With this attack being the largest they have ever launched against Hamas, there is a possibility this could get rather ugly. The attacks were a response to continual rocket attacks by Hamas into Israeli boarder towns. Knowing how unsteady the world always is, I'm always a little timid when stuff like this happens. So let's pray that this ends soon. I understand the plight of the Palestinians. But Israel is there. It is unreasonable to just expect them to get up and move. We need to work towards long range peace agreements, and sending suicide bombers into markets and continually boming boarder towns is not a step in the right direction. I know that it seems that I am coming down heavily on the side of Israel. I am not trying to. This small planet needs to house all of us. Violence is something that will only lead to more violence. So let all of us try and refrain from it's use.

It doesn't require any particular bravery to stand on the floor of the Senate and urge our boys in Vietnam to fight harder, and if this war mushrooms into a major conflict and a hundred thousand young Americans are killed, it won't be U.S. Senators who die. It will be American soldiers who are too young to qualify for the Senate. ~George McGovern


(image taken from www.cnn.com)

Merry Christmas...or something like that.

Well Christmas has come and gone and it was a good one. This was my first married Christmas so I spent the night at the in-laws new house on Christmas Eve. We awoke before the sun around 5:30 and headed down stairs to open the presents. Everything was wonderful. I got a lot of great stuff that I'm pretty excited about. Some clothes, some music, but wait...what is this...one more huge present behind the tree...what could it be? Well I was told to open it. I was thinking that there is no way this present could be for me due to it's large size. But I was wrong. It was the pedal board that I had asked for. Here's a pic.

I got the board not the pedals. But it's wonderful to be able to have everything together and just pull it out and plug it in.

After that we went to my father's aunt's house. This year her husband Wesley wasn't there because he was in the hospital for intestinal problems. But we've been told that he is doing well. After we left her house we then went to my parents house. For Christmas they gave themselves a Wii. So a large portion of the evening was spent bowling, tennis-ing, and boxing...oh...and Mario Cart-ing.



Then we ate dinner. After dinner it was time for more presents. I got more awesome stuff. Clothes, music, books...great stuff. However, my father made a comment that made me laugh. For Christmas he got a Dean Koontz graphic novel. For Christmas I got "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat and "The Federalist Papers" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. So here is what my dad said, "It's funny that I [dad] got a comic book and my son gets political philosophy." Yup...pretty funny.

Why I love my Telecaster?!?!

For those who don't know I've played guitar since I was 13. I've owned a lot of gear throughout the years but it is within the past year that my playing and gear acquisition has hit an all time high. If you are a person who thinks that price = quality then you would say that my Gibson SG is my best guitar. Well, a few months ago I bought a Fender Highway 1 Telecaster. It draws music from me. Sometimes I wonder if the guitar starts to play me. Here is my Telecaster story...

After borrowing my friends MIJ [that's Made In Japan] Strat for a few months, I thought that I wanted a Strat. Well, when I went to Guitar Center I ended getting a Jazzmaster that went back two days later because it wasn't speaking to me at all. When I took it back I spent three hours playing guitars. Nothing was really doing it for me. Well about 10 minutes before the store closed I plugged a High Way 1 Tele in and it was the exact tone that I was hearing in my head. The P/U's [pick ups] were hot and it played really well. Now that I've had it for a few months, I must say that I've not gotten a bad tone out of it. It's only been for the last two weeks that I've even gotten my SG out of its case. I love my tele. It draws music from me. It's a combination of the sound and the way it plays. Also, I love the hotter p/u's in it. The only thing I'm going to replace are the saddles for brass ones. That's really only because I think the brass one's look hot.

...and D. Boone from the Minutemen played one.

Here are some pics:

The guitar on the left is my Gibson SG and on the right is my Tele.

CNN more fair and balanced than Fox?

I was watching CNN and Campbell Brown just came down on Obama for his refusal to talk about the Blagojevich situation. Campbell Brown has a show on CNN... yes CNN, one of those terrible "left-wing media" outlets. But she stated that the media is suppose to hold the politicians feet to the fire. Then she came down on him for "resembling the current administration" in his choosing the questions to answer in a press conference. To which I say...OH SNAP!!! Take that Foxnews. I've thought, for the most part, that CNN is more "fair and balanced" than you. Not that they don't have their opinion shows. But for the most part they beat you in your own game....at least in my opinion.

VS.

Some Videos to Consider

I've been a big supporter of Ron Paul throughout the past year. I think what he's saying about the constitution, the federal reserve, and individual freedom/responsibility is good stuff. So here are two videos to watch. They are of him talking about the recent bailout. Just something to consider.
Dec 08

Oct 08

It's Over Finally

As of tonight my semester is over. No more late nights. No more crazy studying schedules. I haven't been home during a week night in over a month. I don't know what my grades are, but right now it doesn't matter. I took off work today to study for my Calculus final tonight. I left the apartment around 8:45 am. I started studying around 9:30. I finished studying around 6:10pm. Then I took the exam at 7pm. Now that it's all over I strangely feel aggressive. I'm not certain why. But I feel like I want someone to be mean to me so I can snap at them. I think I need to go to bed. I'm glad that I'm on break now. I need it.

I think that I'm a Monarch now.

It would appear that I was accepted to attend ODU in Fall of 2009. Given the past that I've had with school, I have to admit that when this finally set in I broke down and cried in my office. I know, it's not manly or professional. But I'm not so certain that I am either of those anyways. I haven't gotten an official acceptance letter. So I guess it's not "official". However the reason that I think I was accepted is because under my Application Summary on their system, for such things, my "Application Status" says "Made" and my "Decision" field says "Admit". Of course if this is some system fluke you'll find me in the nearest clinic, in some sort of comatose state muttering something absurd...and possibly offensive.

GO SKINS!!!!

BOOOOOOO BALTIMORE!!!!

The Relational Generational Christ

Who is Jesus? Do we worship the same Jesus as our parents? Is Jesus a straight-laced conservative who doesn't play cards, who doesn't drink alcohol, who doesn't like drums and electric guitar? Or is Jesus a hip cool stylin' guy who listens to music that is hyper modern, drinks high class beers occasionally, and gets tattooed? Is it possible that he is both? I think the important part is that people come to Jesus, and that is why we have so many different types of Christians. Maybe someone needs that uber stylized modern Christ to be able to relate and come to him. While someone else may need a more traditionalized environment such as Catholicism to meet their savior. Is it possible that we are so important to God that he would allow so many different denominations because there are so many different types of people? Just look around at all the people you see today. How many of them dress the same? Or have the same opinions on something? Why should we expect their relationship with Jesus to be uniform?


Unity.

Bring Back Macgyver Petition

Please, if you love your eyes and television go sign this.

HERE!!!

Why was U2 so good?

I've been sitting here listening to "War" and I had to blog about it. War/Joshua Tree era U2 is so awesome. The Edge redefined how to play the guitar. The four people come together to make a wonderful. That's right...a wonderful.

Sunday Bloody Sunday
(lyrics from http://www.lyricsfreak.com/u/u2/sunday+bloody+sunday_20141428.html)

I cant believe the news today
Oh, I cant close my eyes and make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long...

cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...

Broken bottles under childrens feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I wont heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday bloody sunday...)
(allright lets go!)

And the battles just begun
Theres many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday

How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long...

cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...
Tonight...

Sunday, bloody sunday (tonight)
Tonight
Sunday, bloody sunday (tonight)
(come get some!)

Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Wipe your tears away
I wipe your tears away
(sunday, bloody sunday)
I wipe your blood shot eyes
(sunday, bloody sunday)

Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday, bloody sunday)
Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday, bloody sunday)
(here I come!)

And its true we are immune
When fact is fiction and tv reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die

The real battle yet begun (sunday, bloody sunday)
To claim the victory jesus won (sunday, bloody sunday)
On...

Sunday bloody sunday
Sunday bloody sunday...

Something to think about

Man says he's tired of paying such high taxes.

Politician says that's the price of civilization.

What do you think?

People are People

Human beings are not a commodity. We should never view interaction with another human being as something trite and dispensable. Unfortunately, this is something that can't be forced on us, love cannot be legislated. No matter how small or insignificant the encounter may seem, they walk away from it and go back to an entire life. It's not just a person you buy an item from, it's an entire life full of hopes, ideas, beliefs, and experiences. So when you have these flash encounters with people keep in mind what you are actually encountering, then treat it accordingly.

How do I spell tryptophan?

If it aint Friday then I aint breathin. Good Friday mornin everyone. As we are all waiting for the tryptophan to wear off and for the football hangover to go away, Friday done snuck up on us again. Anyone else realize yesterday that a week ago your weekend had begun? Anyone else get a little sad? Yea me too. But fear not dear citizen Friday is here to comfort you and wipe away those trepidations. In my opinion that's as good as any left over turkey sandwich but not quite as good as a Redskin's touchdown. Booooo...Giants!!!

3rd down and 2

Scott

My School Dilemma

I applied to ODU two weeks ago. I want to go to school so that when I graduate I can get into computer programming. Well, ODU offers a BS in Computer Science which is a Math intensive program and it would really push me. However, with ODU being so far away it would be hard to get there and back every day. So my other option is St. Leo where I could get a BS in Computer Information Systems. Which is like a Business Degree that is heavy in Computer Classes. But ultimately I think I would have an easier time with the classes. I don't want to take the easy road only to not be able to get the job that I want when I'm done. So I'm hoping that if God knows that I can go to St. Leo's and still get where I want in a career that ODU will deny me. But if they accept me, I really don't know what I'm going to do. I'm really torn.

A Good Idea

I heard this idea on the radio yesterday and it seemed like a pretty good one, given the current situation. The Bush administration has left about $350 bil of the financial bailout money, for the Obama administration to use . A Texas Congressman is credited with asking for a two month moratorium on Federal income taxes and Social Security taxes. Two months of not collecting these taxes would equal about $350 bil, which would be subsidized with the remaining money. This would allow the American people to have some extra money to bailout (spend money with) the companies they believe in.

I think the whole situation we are in is a destructive cycle. I think it's not going to fix the problems and it's propping up a system that is not going to change and is delaying the inevitable. However, we are in the situation. So this makes much more sense to me than for Paulson and Bernanke to continue to bailout whoever they wish with no oversight or accountability. So if this actually comes up for a vote, you may want to look into contacting your Congressman to ask them to vote on it.

If you don't know who your congressman is then I'll tell you how to find out.

1. Google your city/country's registrar's office.
2. Find the link there that says something about finding your polling place. (or call them)
3. Once you find it then it should tell you what your Congressional district is.
4. Go to www.opencongress.org
5. Click the Representatives tab at the top.
6. Click your state.
7. Look at the list and find your Congressional Representative for your district.
8. Click their name.

Now that you are there you can view their voting record. You can also save that page under your favorites and revisit it to see how they are voting on issues important to you. Now to contact them simply Google their name and you will find their Congressional website and you can email them from there.

Anyways, if I can be of any help in helping you to find out more then please don't hesitate to email me. Have a good Tuesday.