My most political blog ever!

Lately, with what has been happening economically and politically I've kind of been forced to think about where I stand on certain issues. I really dislike being controversial, I don't like debating, but I don't mind people knowing what I think.

I've been doing a lot of research about the left and right, economic and social views, and what exactly God thinks about what I think.

Our current president is creating a nation that is different from what we've had. I don't know if where we are going is good or bad. From what I've seen I don't fully support. I don't support the idea of higher taxes on wealthy people, bailing out corporations that are failing, and the whole health care reform doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I don't think the government should take over health care, or force people who don't need it to have it... but at the same time I don't think people who truly cannot afford it should be left on their own. I don't think the government should be the one to give health care to the poor.

Proverbs 19:17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord& he will repay you!

I've seen this verse used as a pro-socialist point of view. God would want us to give to the poor rather than make all our money for ourselves. If I make a lot of money in my lifetime, why should I be forced to give it to the poor though? Is it right that if I got a job making $100k+ the government should take a good portion and give it out to those who need it? I don't think so, but I think I should have the right to give it to them if I want. I don't think anyone should be forced to give. If you're forced to give you don't even feel like you're giving! I pay my tithe's and offering at church, but I'm not forced to. I could choose not to if I wanted. I know that my money is going to a good cause, so I gladly give, I do not expect any personal gain out of it. I feel better about that than giving automatically out of a paycheck to the government to decide where to put it.

I don't have it all figured out, I just have feelings about things. I don't think anyone has a right view. I don't consider myself a part of one party, I have views and I vote for who I share views with. I don't share views with Obama, but I hope whatever he puts into action does not put our country even more into a financial crisis.

Enjoy this blog as you may, it's probably the most controversial and political I will ever be in writing, hah.

New Camera!

Brittany and I just got some new cameras. They are Lomography Holga 135s. Unfortunately one of them is not working, so we had to send it back to get another one. On the one we did get to keep we took some pictures, since that is normally what you do when you get a new camera!

We got to watch our niece Mayah the other night, so she was naturally a good target for our new toy!





We got a colorsplash flash to go along with it. It's basically a flash that has a color gel in it to make it, well... colored.



It's pretty fun. It has a plastic lens so it takes very soft looking pictures. It's kind of hard for me to figure out how to focus, since the view finder doesn't go through the actual lens. I'm sure that will get easier with some trial and error. It's pretty fun still!



That's all for now. With more film I am sure we'll be taking many more pictures. I'm sure also once we get the other camera back we'll be posting many photos!

Bass

So, I return from not saying anything on here for forever to post a few pictures I took of my bass. I haven't taken many pictures in a long while, but I recently just got my camera out and decided to take a couple.

So, here's the first one. In color, just hanging out on the floor.



The second one I decided to do b/w because it had little color to start with, so why not just make it b/w?



That's all. I might start posting more pictures more often.

Everything

I don't know if you've heard this song before, but it's a great one by Lifehouse off of No Name Face. There is this really cool video on YouTube done to it.



Just thought I'd share, and update my blog since I never do.

29 Kill Streak

For anyone who can appreciate a good kill streak in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I love how he just keeps going. He says his highest streak is 57. My highest is 14, so I have a ways to go before I could be proud enough of a video to post it here.



The quality isn't very good, for some reason it is also lagging a bit.

Arm Stabbing via Raving Electrical Man and Company

So, last night I had this dream. I was being chased by this man who had these cable chain things that he used as whips. They were electrically charged and he chased me with them trying to electrocute me. I ran into a room and closed the door and quickly found a knife and a duffel bag on the floor which I used as a weapon and shield to defend myself.

So, this is where it gets intense.

I wait...

And wait...

Nothing happens, so I open the door, and wait...

Finally my adversary comes to the doorway and whips at me. I dodge. He walks away and into the room comes this man/ghost thing dressed in a derby hat, round glasses, and a Sherlock Holmes type coat, and he was very ghastly. I decide he is undead, and is going to kill me.. for he also has a knife.

Luckily, in my dream world I am an experienced knife fighter.

He swipes, I catch his swipe with my makeshift shield. I swipe at him and he dodges!! He stabs at my arm and punctures into my right bicep!!

Adrenaline rushes through my as I swing my right arm as hard as I can into a pile of stuff sitting next to my bed on a TV stand and across my room, which wakes me up and I am laying there with a super fast heartbeat and a stabbed arm when I realize it was all just a dream and I was totally fine.

If anyone looking like that man did was in my room I probably would have clobbered the guy. I have a small baseball bat near my bed in case I need to defend myself in the middle of the night from invaders. Lucky for the actual guy in my dream, for I woke up and didn't get a chance to retaliate.

Christmas Music Observed.

Anyone who knows me knows that music is an important and very big part of my life, as it is with my whole family! I listen to and play music everyday. I feel like I am really good at listening to it. I love to analyze every little part, and try to figure out what exactly is happening and why whoever wrote it did it the way he did. This goes for everything, the melodies, the harmonies, the dynamics, the rhythm, the arrangement... everything! I love it all, and I listen to it on a big musical canvas in my head!

So, every year I listen to Christmas music at some point. Whether it's at the store or work, or a CD of some of the songs I enjoy that I'd listen to in my car. Wherever I hear it I've started listening to it a bit more with my analytical ear, instead of my traditional spirit ear.

Something I've always wondered is what someone who doesn't have any faith in God thinks about when they sing Christian themed Christmas songs. There are a lot that sing about giving and receiving, decorating, Santa, and all sorts of commercial things that happen during Christmas. Also, there are lot of songs you hear during the holidays are about Jesus' birth and him saving us from sin. I know that a lot of people don't believe in that, but they still enjoy the songs! Therefor, lots of pop artists who don't really proclaim themselves as Christians sing Christian Christmas songs, and it probably doesn't have the same meaning to them as it would for someone who is a Christian.

When listening to Christmas songs I think about Jesus' birth and all, and what it means to me as a Christian. When I listen to the music I feel like a lot of secular pop artists are simply singing Christmas songs, like they are singing them because they are traditional and they put people into the Christmas spirit. Something I've come to appreciate is listening to these songs sung by people who share my feelings about how meaningful it is that Jesus was born to save us and how much of a joyful thing that is. When the person who is singing it is going beyond the traditional side, and more of the worshipful appreciation of God giving us our savior I feel more in the spirit of Christmas... like, the true spirit of Christmas, the one that makes us forgiven and free and able to celebrate the person who did that, Jesus.. not spirit of buying the best gifts and all of the commercial stuff, which is fun, but not the reason for the season!

I dunno, just my thoughts.