Monday, January 31, 2011

I want one.

So I went to the ENT today, and before prescribing me 20 days of ultra heavy duty antibiotics, a supercharged nasal spray, and more decongestants to fight this nearing three month sinus infection, he used this really cool camera thing to look up my nose.

I want one.

Then I could be a real spy and look under doors and stuff.

Just sayin'.

Song of the moment:
21 Questions by 50 Cent

Out of character for me? Maybe. And oddly poetic and entertaining song? Absolutely.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

This too shall be made right.

This Too Shall Be Made Right

people love you the most for the things you hate
and hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
people judge you on a curve
and tell you you're getting what you deserve
this too shall be made right

children cannot learn when children cannot eat
stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
children dream of wishing wells
whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
this too shall be made right

the earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
we say we're just trying to stay alive
but it looks so much more like a way to die
this too shall be made right

there's a time for peace and there is a time for war
a time to forgive and a time to settle the score
a time for babies to lose their lives
a time for hunger and genocide
this too shall be made right

I don't know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who i choose to ignore
I'm trading comfort for human life
and that's not just murder it's suicide
this too shall be made right

-Derek Webb


I find this to be a powerful poem.


Here's the link for the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZgZD91T5-4

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Cudi and Culture



The juxtaposition of lyrics, musical tone, and images makes this a very interesting commentary on our culture. Plus I like the song.
All I'm saying is the man doesn't look very happy, sings a lot about night terrors and sorrows to be on the pursuit of happiness.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Why are Sweethearts so good?

Valentine's day is less than a month away, which means that sweethearts are on sale at a grocery store near you! Now the real question is why are these sugar and corn syrup confections with awful phrases of love (the handful I'm currently eating says: "My Team" "Win Me" "Ur Hot" "All Mine" "Love Me" and "Win me") so dag gum good?
I think I am addicted to lemon tinted chalk.
Also why don't they have these year round? They could have a christmas edition, forth of July edition, or even a St. Patrick's day edition, and shape them like christmas trees, bottle rockets, and clovers respectively. Sayings certainly wouldn't be hard as it is easy to pick two random words from the english language and print them on sugar. Try "Jingle Bells" for Christmas, "Boom" or "'Merica" for Fourth of July, and "Drink Up" for St. Patty's. Oh the simple brilliance. (By the way, I hear they have some that say "tweet me" since that makes lots of sense (and zero dollars) to tell your crush).




Anyways, as I prepare to go abroad, I'm having my fair share of pre-trip anxieties. The idea of having to start all over with making friends, relationships, and community is daunting and depressing. I'm also nervous about classes and travel and how on earth to balance everything I want to do there.
Another semi-legitimate fear is the fact that I will be able, allowed, and encouraged to drink (alcohol that is) over there. I don't have a real desire to drink, but I don't want to be that guy who comes off as a Tee-totaler or Brother Micah.

I think all of this is related to the same question that I have been dealing with for years: What does it look like to follow Jesus, daily? Just because I say I love him, doesn't mean I do. Love changes people. And since I am a person it should change me. And this Love should affect every situation, moral and amoral. I hope and pray that he does big things with me abroad, and also that he does big things with me here.

In other news: Sydney better get ready for it's first beached whale ultimate player. Bahwoo!


Song of the moment: A Little Piece by the Jezabels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xtEmv-67w

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Photography

Photography and digital art/photo editing is definitely something I am becoming more interested in. With my little point and shoot camera, my mac, and Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/), I can do all kinds of awesome things.

Here's some of the recent stuff I've done and edited:


The lights from the blinds on my home cabinets.
Taken on my Panasonic point and shoot, minimal editing in iPhoto.
I really like the concept of light as a subject. Not only does it appeal to my scientific mind as a ridiculously cool physical phenomena, it appeals to just about everyone's aesthetic likings. I also like the analogical and metaphorical characteristics of light and dark.

\
This is a stock portrait of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and one of Adolf Hitler put together with Gimp. Partially me figuring out the program a little more, partially me dealing with all of the atrocities of the past and the idea of my future.



A picture I took of Maggie and Tim this past summer, edited in Gimp. I was just fooling around, and I thought it looked cool.



I just really like this picture. Minimal editing.

Pictures are fun.

Breaking it back out...

I'm finally going to break the ol' blog back out, I figure with me leaving in less than a month I need to get in the habit of blogging if I am actually going to blog when I am abroad.

With that being said I will write a real post in a couple of days.