UGG!!!

The stupid Blogger site is having glitches, as you can see by the mangled formating on the post below.

#78: Rating explanation

Just to put my ratings in perspective, here's a little explanation:
◆◊◊◊◊= Poor, don't waste your time or money.
◆◆◊◊◊= Well made and above average, but doesn't offer anything new.
◆◆◆◊◊=Stand out. Most of the songs are unique and well done.
◆◆◆◆◊= Very well done. This album made me a fan of the band.
◆◆◆◆◆= Classic. Every song is good.

So, just to clarify, a two star rating is a compliment.

#77: Album review: "Comatose", by Skillet

Overall Rating: ◆◆◆◊◊
Review Synopsis: The lyrical and thematic material of Comatose re-treads the cliches that plague Christian rock, but the guitar and bass riffs and occasional orchestral accompaniment are just enough to make this album stand out.

I'm not a fan of Christian hard rock, or even hard rock in general. Due to its generally having little thematic variety, few hard rock albums I've come across offer much more than melodramatic despair, arrogant hatred, and selfish depression. Christian Hard Rock bands tend to follow suit, but must pay lip service to redemption and hope if they want to please the Christian mainstream. The mark of a good Christian rock band is their ability to meet these expectations--naturally, not out of obligation--and also back thematic material with well written lyrics and good musicianship. Skillet's 2006 album, "Comatose", fares well in the musicianship category, but flounders in the lyrics and thematic material.

On one hand, Comatose has those obvious and elementary rhymes such as "right now/I came alive somehow" and "remember/in December", and the familiar thematic materials such as songs about some sort of mysterious "rebirth", several "don't leave me alone, I'm so sad" songs, and another one of those songs that fail to clarify whether the lyrics refer to God or girlfriend. There's also a little social commentary that doesn't quite work in Looking for Angels. But on the other hand, you have the occasionally exhilarating string accompaniments on songs like "Rebirthing", delicious guitar riffs on songs like "Falling Into Black" and "Whispers in the Dark", and even a few truly beautiful melodies on songs like "Yours Alone", "Don't Say Good-bye", and "The Last Night". Simply put, the music rocks.

I think the main shortcoming on this album are the poor lyrics. There are some songs, though, with some well written lyrics, such as "Whispers in the Dark" and "The Last Night", which are the overall best songs on the album. But, if you buy this album, it's got to be for the music, because it's very good.

Overall, I have to give this album two stars. What it lacks in lyrical freshness it makes up for in musicianship.

If you download some songs, here's the best ones:
1. (Tie) Whispers in the Dark, The Last Night
2. Say Goodbye
3. The Older I Get

#76: A full fledged review of "Nothing is Sound"

Overall Rating: ◆◆◆◆◆
Out of Switchfoot's three albums since their mainstream breakthrough, this one is their best, and also my favorite. I didn't really appreciate it, though, until more than a year after its November, 2005 release.

OK, this is an extremely long review. I will be surprised if more than two people can read the whole thing through.

So without further ado...

"Lonely Nation" is the first track, lamenting the emptiness of modern America. "Stars", the second track, is a much more upbeat and hopeful song with incredible guitar riffs. "Everyone, you look so lonely...you look so empty. But when I look at the stars...I see someone else".

The next song is the eloquently titled "Happy is a Yuppy Word", a song that is unflinching in its acknowledgment of the truth of the emptiness and fragility of this life, with lines taken straight from the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes. "Everything fails, everything runs its course." But again, there is also an acknowledgment of the hope we have in eternity: "I'm looking for an orphanage, I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down." The depressed tone continues through the next song, "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine," which is the weakest song--at least musically--on the album. It starts out well, but loses its emotional impact due to just a little too much "noise" and just a little too long running time.

The next song is "Easier Than Love", a partly satirical, partly disgusted, and partly mournful look at the way too many people believe sex and love are one. "Sex is currency, she sells car, she sells magazines. Addictive, bittersweet...everyone's a lost romantic ever since love became a kissing show...she's easier than love...it's easier to fake and smile and bribe..everyone's been scared to death of dying here alone."

The next track is "The Blues", an excellent song in the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems like a version of "Happy is a Yuppy Word", "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" and "Easier Than Love" all rolled into one. While the song itself is a masterpiece, both lyrically and musically, its unfortunate placement disrupts the continuity of the album and takes the depressed tone just one space too far.

Next is "The Setting Sun". It's at this point that the tone of the album changes, becoming more hopeful, but still dark. It's a song about heaven: "I've got a wound that doesn't heal...I'm alone again, burning out again...It won't be long, I belong somewhere past the setting sun, finally free, finally strong, somewhere back where I belong."

Next is another song that contrasts the brokenness and emptiness of earthly kingdoms vs. God's kingdom, i.e., heaven. This is the most angry and even bitter song on the album: "Entropy and aching. Where have we been aiming?...We are the faded, splitted and sedated, everything is breaking down!...I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians, watching for my sky to get torn apart."

The next song is "Golden", which has the weakest lyrics of all songs on the album. Still, it's not bad, just non-descript, and it's a welcome break from the intense emotion of all the songs so far.

Next, though, is the darkest song on the album: "The Fatal Wound". This one is, I think, a self-examination and acknowledgment of the need for change. "I am the crisis...I am the razor edge. I'm gonna gun this down...son of sorrow staring down forever/with an aching view, disenchanted. Let's do down together with the fatal wound."

After this is the song "We Are One Tonight". This song tells the other side of the dark truths and ends on a hopeful note: "I'll rise. I'll fall. I'll fail you all...the world is flawed, but these scars will heal...I'm no victim, I've paid these dues. I came to lose...I don't want to lose the common ground...I don't want to fight about it now with the whole world upside down...Let's slow the evening down. The stars are coming out!"

The final song is "Daisy", a masterpiece both lyrically and musically. It's a gentle coaxing to someone with a bitter heart to let it go and surrender to love--i.e., God. "Daisy, give yourself away...look up at the rain. A beautiful display/of power and surrender. She comes down easy, on rich and dead the same...Daisy...who will take the blame/of all redemptive motion/and every rainy day/when He gives himself away...Let it go, Daisy, let it go."

#75: Communism

Too many people don't know what the true definition of communism is. They think communism=someone in power they don't like. Here's a dictionary definition:

communism |ˈkämyəˌnizəm| (often Communism) (noun): A political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

The problem with communism is that it gives too much power to the government. No matter how well-meaning someone is, the temptation to abuse this power is too great. Also, it's easy for an evil person to convince a non-thinking society that communism is a good form of government, then take the power the people gives him, and abuse it.

#74: Three famous people talk about God.

Here's something I found on pluggedinonline.com.

QUOTE: "When we say, 'G--------, I'm scared to send my children to church,' that's so [f-word] relevant. And everyone thinks it, but no one's said it. I mean, all you hear about is priests molesting kids, and all this weirdo [f-word] crazy right-wing Bible-thumping [s word]. It's like, I want to believe in Jesus, I do believe in Jesus. I am a [f-word] good person. But I'm scared to send my kid to your [f-word] organized religious crazy [f-word] [bs]." —rocker Kid Rock, mulling faith and religion [ew.com, 10/01/07]

QUOTE: "I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love religions and the rituals. Even though I don't believe in God, we celebrate pretty much every religion in our family with the kids. And they love it. When they say, "Are we Jewish?" or, "Are we Catholic?" I say, "Well, I'm not, but you can choose when you're 18. But isn't this fun that we do seders and the Advent calendar?" —actress Jodie Foster, on how she deals with spiritual issues with her two young sons, Charles and Kit [Entertainment Weekly, 9/7/07; IMDb.com]

QUOTE: "In my opinion, there's no way God looks at things from 14 different angles. I see God as knowing only one truth, and that's it. There's no other opinion about it. And I want to know what that one truth is. Everyone can sit around and have their manly and earthly opinions about things, but I doubt there's much debate going on in heaven. I'm trying to find whatever that singular truth is in any particular topic." —White Stripes singer and guitarist Jack White [Paste, 8/07]

#73: Being Single

I'm 17, and I've yet to enter the world of dating and romance. Most of my friends can't understand why. They fell the urge to speculate over who I might be interested in. Besides the preferences of my parents, I really do have my own reasons. Here's parts from an article I found on MSN.com about this topic:

(Please Note: I did not write the article below. Please give credit where credit is due.)

What’s so bad about being single?

By Michael Kramer

“You know what your problem is?”

Who doesn’t love a conversation that starts like that? But if you’re over 35 and single, people somehow think it’s an open invitation to diagnose why you’re still single. “You don’t have room in your life for a woman.” “You’re too picky.” “You’re not picky enough.” (Sadly, I’ve dated a few women who have elicited that response from my friends.) The very term “singles” practically sounds like a disease (oh, wait, that’s “shingles”), and for those diagnosing us, being single seems to be our defining characteristic.

As the last of my peer group to remain single, I’ve noticed that friends, colleagues, family members, even shop owners, are quick to diagnose me. I bought new eyeglasses recently and the salesman asked my female friend whether we were a couple.

“No, we’re just friends,” she said.

“Good,” he said, “because based on how long it takes him to decide on a pair of glasses, if you’re waiting for a proposal, you’re gonna wait forever.” As if choosing eyewear were somehow related to choosing a spouse.

Is there something wrong with being single?
But comments like these, repeated over and over through the years, made me start to doubt myself. Maybe something was wrong with me. Maybe I did have the dreaded singles disease. After all, people never give flattering reasons for why you’re still single. The diagnosis is never, “You’re too good-looking” or “If only you were less smart.” It’s always something negative. “You don’t know what you want in a woman.” “You’re looking for a woman who doesn’t exist.” If everybody’s saying these things, after a while you start thinking maybe they’re right.

It got to the point where even I started to wonder why I was still single. So I decided to put my fate in the hands of my happily married friends, Andy and Lisa. (Names have been changed to protect the guilty.) I agreed to let them set me up.

Andy and Lisa wanted to double date, so the four of us went to dinner. It turns out that the woman they set me up with had started a new job that day, and she joked — three times, so I sensed it was more than a joke — that she’s just not cut out for work, and she really just wants to marry a rich guy. That’s a nice thing to hear on a first date, because that’s exactly what guys are looking for in a woman. It’s the equivalent of a man telling a first date that he’s considering quitting his job to devote more time to chewing tobacco.

Then poker came up in conversation, and my date said she loves to gamble, but she’s having a bad year. “How so?” I asked. She said she’s down $19,000. Nineteen. Thousand. Dollars! I thought, Wow, so you don’t want to work AND you’ve got a gambling problem? You’re quite the catch.

After the date, Andy pulled me aside and excitedly asked, “So… what do you think?” Not wanting to be insulting, I said I thought she was nice, but not quite my type. To which Andy replied, “You know what your problem is? You don’t want to be happy.”

Now, wait a minute! I may not know myself perfectly, but I do know that an unambitious gambler is not my road to happiness. And that’s when I came to my senses and realized that the so-called “experts” who were diagnosing me didn’t know any more than I did. Being single isn’t a disease, yet so many married people think they’re Jonas Salk with the miracle cure. But with over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, maybe single people should be diagnosing married people.

What single people need to remember
The fact is, we all go through life on our own timetable. I know many people who found their true love a little later in life. It wasn’t because they were crazy or afraid to commit or told too many corny jokes on dates or any of that stuff. It was because they found their true love a little later in life.

I have a well-meaning cousin who, upon hearing I wasn’t dating anyone, sighed and said, “There’s gotta be somebody out there for you.” She used the exact same tone that Dr. Frankenstein would have used if he were lamenting that his monster was still single. I told her, “It’s not like I’ve never been loved!” But then I realized that I didn’t need to get defensive. I mean, even Frankenstein’s monster found his soul mate, and I’m not sure he even had a soul. I have to believe I’m a better catch than he is. Just imagine what people must have said about him before he found his lovely bride. But did he listen? No. Ol’ Frankie’s monster just kept trudging along, with the bolts in his neck and his flat head held high. And until the rest of us find our soul mate, so should we.

Sorry

I don't know why the font is so big below. I've tried to fix it but can't figure it out. Blame it on global WARMING!!

#72: So-called "Hate Crimes"

One of the media's favorites buzz phrases is "hate crime". What is a hate crime? Oxford dictionary says it's "a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence."
I wonder what the motives are for picking out this story? Why, out of all the murders that happen every day, did MSN choose this one as their headline? Well, because it has a special twist: it's a racist issue. *Speculation Alert*: I guess the media realized they'd hit a goldmine with the Don Imus "'n' and 'h'" issue. Looks like they're digging another one.
As for the "hate crime" concept, I think it's a moot point. Every murder is motivated by hate, it's just that the hate is for different reasons. What makes race-motivated murders so much worse than murdering someone for, say, being at the wrong place at the wrong time?
In Canada, you can be fined just for saying something mean, especially at a tax exempt organization such as a church. That's how the definition of "hate crime" can end up. I know it's a tough thing for some people to face, but the right to free speech includes the right to say nasty things. (Of course, that doesn't mean you have to listen to it!)
I think it's racist to turn this crime into a racist issue. Whether or not not there was any racism involved, it's still a shocking story. All who committed these acts should be locked away for a long, long time (or worse). But please, let the racist issues go. People who keeping digging this up from the grave for page hits and ratings are making the problem worse.

#71: Semi album review: Switchfoot, "Nothing is Sound"

Switchfoot's 2005 release "Nothing is Sound" has really grown on me. I bought it the day it came out, almost two years ago. My initial impression was that is was filled with dark and depressing songs.
But now, almost two years later, I realize that this album is based on Ecclesiastes. The song "Happy is a Yuppie Word" (I though it was "world" until just a couple months ago) starts like this:

Everyone dies
Everyone loves a fight
Nothing is sound
Nothing is right side right

And later...

Happy is a yuppie word
Nothing in the world can fail me now
It's empty as an argument
I'm running down a life that won't cash out

Everything fails
Everything runs it's course
A time and a place, for all of this loving war
Everyone buys, everyone's got a price, and nothing is new
When will all the failures rise?

And how about the song "Politicians"? Pluggedinonline.com said "Politicians" is mired in bitter hopelessness. And it's easy to mis translate the lyrics (which is a weakness on Switchfoot's part).

Everything is bleeding
Everything is bleeding
Everything is breaking down, breaking down

Entropy and Aching
Where have we been aiming?
Everything is fading out, fading out
We are the faded, splitted, and sedated
Everything is fading out, fading out

I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians
Watching for my sky to get torn apart
We are broken, we are bitter
We're the problem, we're the politicians
Watching for our sky to get torn apart
C'mon and break me

So what is this politicianless country referred to? Most would probably say USA. That would be wrong. USA's got plenty of politicians running around. I think this country is God's country--heaven. So that turns this song from a bitter rant to a bitter-sweet yet hopeful anthem. Look at it this way:

I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians (i.e., heaven)
Watching for my sky to get torn apart (as in Christ's return)
We are broken, we are bitter
We're the problem, we're the politicians
Watching for our sky to get torn apart (those of us who are saved)
C'mon and break me (a dare to those who think material--this body--is all we have for our existence).

#70: Gross

The way some people are politicizing the VT Massacre is simply disgusting.

#69: HA HA HA!

I wonder how many people rolled their eyes at the post right under #63.
I wonder how many people rolled on the floor laughing.
Oh, well. :) I won't make ridiculous promises again, I prom---um...

#68: The Dark $ide of Video Game$

I have been thinking about video games lately, and I was curious to see how much I had spent on them throughout my life. Some rough calculations in my head, and I estimated about $200 or $300. I was shocked, of course, but not really all that surprised. But then this morning, I wrote down every single game I've bought since I was 10 years old. And this is what I came up with:

Lego Racers:$10
Legoland: $20
Ninendo DS bundled with Mario Kart: $150
Super Mario 64 DS: $35
Spider-man 2 DS (used): $20
The Sims 2 (a really, really boring game)
$20, minus $10 when I traded it in= $10
Nintendo DS Lite: $130
Animal Crossing DS (used): $30
Mario Kart: Double Dash:$30
Two GameCube Controllers (4 my bro): $50
Diddy Kong Racing (lousy game): $30
Yoshi's Island DS: $30
New Super Mario Bros. $35
Mech Warrior DS: $30
Roller-Coaster Tycoon 3 Platinum: $30
GRAND TOTAL: $640!!!!


Need I say more? I wonder what would happen if I added up the hours spent on video games? Amazing. Was it worth the money? What else could I have spent the money on?

An experiment (sort of)

If you don't like the poll, hit "refresh" on your browser and a new one should pop up.

#67: Arguing, the Epilouge

When you argue, don't tell the other person what to believe, explain why you believe it.

#66: Our generation

Our generation and the one before it are all fat, dumb and happy. Not to mention lazy. We've got our cells phones, iPods, computers and PS2s. We don't do any real work. We blame our faults on chemicals floating around in our heads. Our idea of misery is not being able to play our video games. We have no real friends, we don't know what love is, and we treat the opposite sex as props to make us look and feel better.

That's pretty depressing. I'm depressed. My brain must not be producing enough happiness chemicals.

#65: Arguing

Arguing in the traditional sense is pointless. Anyone who's had a sibling knows this. You argue back and forth and back and forth until someone interupts. I wonder what we are trying to prove when we argue? And how in the world do you WIN an argument? I've never figured that one out. Are you trying to make the other person say you're right? That doesn't happen often, especially when it comes to theology and politics. Can you imagine Sean Hannity and Cindy Sheehnan sitting down to argue about the Iraq war? That would be pointless. Both of them have deeply held convictions about the war. Neither of them would be willing to admit they were wrong.

Everybody knows that we all hate to be wrong, so we argue until we've worked the other person into a corner and they give up. At least, we hope that's what will happen.

I love to argue about my beliefs, but I'm starting to question my motives. Am I arguing just to win, or am I trying to inform the person? And if I am trying just to inform the person, do they even want to be "informed"? Half the time, the answer is no. So in that case, I just have to exercise some good, old fashioned but uncomfortable self-control and be quiet. And when I'm on the receiving end of an argument, am I open to the fact that I just might be wrong? Or do I not even care if I'm wrong and just blindly argue for a lie?

#64: A thought

It makes me laugh when people wine about how overrated humans are: we're ugly, weak, and decidedly uncool. We live in our comfortable little houses and destroy poor wildlife's environment. Animals are SO much better than us.

So who rules the world? Horses? Elephants? Lions?

Humans.

I guess smarts don't count?

Let's hear it for groupthink

Do you have any ideas for a new poll?
Any and all are welcome with open arms. Put ideas in the comments.
Thanks, everyone!

#63: A hilarious video

Scrolling through YouTube can be dangerous, kind of like real life. But now and then you find a REALLY, REALLY funny video like this: (click here)

FROM NOW ON!!!

From this day forward, I promise to post something new EVERY SINGLE DAY: maybe a link to an interesting website, a funny or otherwise interesting picture, a funny YouTube video, a bit of news, and the occasional blog on politics or other thought on my mind lately. If I miss a day, I will make it up.

So there you have it, folks!

#62: Some Good Songs

Here's a list of some songs I've been liking lately. If you are intersted, you can download the iMix here: ttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=213547215 (iTunes required, download it here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

"Good Monsters", by Jars of Clay
Style: Light, catchy rock
Gist: Good won't show it's ugly face/evil won't you take your place/nothing ever changes/nothing ever changes by itself.
Rating: 4 out of 5

"Nuisance", by John Reuben (Featuring Matthew Thiesen from Relient K)
Style: Gentle, thoughtful hip-hop
Gist: "...Here we are in the same old spot/knowing something needs to happen...I'm not trying to be a nuisance, I just think we can do better than this/That was simply my two cents/you can take it or leave it..."
Rating: 5 out of 5

"The Boy Versus the Cynic", by John Reuben
Style: Gentle, reflective hip-hop
Gist: "...Don’t mistake innocence for ignorance/Don’t mistake purity for inexperience/Don’t mistake humility for weakness/I sincerely mean this/You understand more than you know/There's no goal like peace of mind..."

"4:12", by Switchfoot
Style: Upbeat, bouncy rock
Gist: "...I'm so sorry/I've been so down/but I still can't believe/that all we are, and that all of our dreams, are nothing more/than material/It's nonsensical!/Souls aren't made of stone..."
Rating: 4 out of 5

"Good-bye is All we Have", by Allison Krauss and Union Station
Style: Gently, blue-grassy country
Gist: "...Gone tomorrow, here today/Just in case you've got something to say/I'll be leaving with the rest/Goodbye is all we have."
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kind of Cool

The poll I have up right now has had 20 votes. Wow! That's the most votes I've ever gotten for a poll. That either shows you how popular this blog is or how unpopular.

C'mon, everybody

Let's stop arguing and find something constructive to do.

#61: Some Profound Quotes

Quotes by...

...St. Jerome
347 -420 A.D.
"A fat stomach never breeds fine thoughts."
"True friendship ought never conceal what it thinks."
"Love is not to be purchased, and affection has no price."
"Begin to be now what you will be hereafter."

...Oswald Chambers
1874-1917
"Beware of posing as a profound person. God became a baby."

#60: Something I wrote when I was 10

I wrote this poem seven years ago. I have edited it slightly for clarity and for better rhythm (did you ever notice that the word "rhythm" has no vowels?).

"Cows"
Written by 'Kibitz Jo' before he had conceived this witty nickname. Six years, in fact. In fact, it was in circa 2001 A.D.

Cows are fat, Cows are slow,
unless you make them mad.

All they do is stomach grass
(they all have four, you know)

If I were a cow, you know what I'd say?
Most likely nothing at all,
Cow's words being limited to "moo".

NEW POLL

Please notice the new poll to the right and act accordingly.

#59: I am THROUGH with Media Reviews (at least in the traditional sense)

Why do you read a review of a book or movie? To find out whether or not the particular form of media is worth spending your time and money on. At least, that's how it is for most people.

I, personally, sometimes like to read a review to hear someone agree with what I thought of the book. If I hated said book, it's a form of gloating to read some high-profile reviewer's opinion reflect my own. And the same goes if I liked the book.

Anyone who's been following my blog for the past year and a half knows I love blasting things out of the water if I don't like them. I don't know: maybe we all like doing that. "Hatred loves company".

Well, all I'm saying on this admitedly random blog (I'm really tired) is I'm done reviewing a book or movie just to blast it. From now on, I'm only reviewing things that I like, and communicating why something is worth spending your time and money on.

A Joke

Q. What do you call a cow that can't give milk?
A: An udder disaster.

Q. What do you call a cow that can't give milk?
A. A bull.

About the Pop Ups

I don't know why there are pop-ups on my site, but I am just as annoyed about them as you are.

#58: The Iraq War

Iraq.
That's one of the most...involving words in regular use right now. It makes everybody mad for different reasons! At least, it makes me mad!

I'm hearing two different stories about Iraq. One is the one that the media is reporting: it's a disaster, people are dying every day, the Iraq natives are restless and resent America's presence. The other version is the one I'm hearing from my *ahem* "connections" in the military, i.e., my Dad: while it's obvious that mistakes have been made in Iraq, it's going well: we are winning and America's military helping the citizens of Iraq. Not only that, but Iraqis are glad of it, but are standing right beside American troops in fighting terrorists. In fact, these Iraqi soldiers are being killed by car bombs, too.

Just since I've written that post, I had an experience that changed the way I look at war. I was talking to one of my co-workers, and the topic of the Iraq war came up. I, in my ever know-it-all way, said, "Things aren't going nearly as bad as the media is saying. I've heard first-hand accounts." (which, now that I think about correct verbiage and such, I realize is not true). But she caught me off guard. "I have a friend in Iraq." And suddenly I realized I wasn't much of an authority on how things are in Iraq; all I knew was what I'd heard from other people. Not that that's a bad thing, but it just drove home to me how little I know about the war. So anyway, she continued: "I just don't like it when people have to die."

"Well, dying is part of life," I said.

"I know, but I don't like it when people have their lives cut short unnecessarily. My friend has almost died four times. It's dangerous over there."

You need to realize that she is really missing and worried about her friend. She wasn't spouting something she'd heard on the news, she was sharing her convictions.

I thought for a while. How do you explain that freedom is worth the risk? "I know you've heard this a million times," I said, "but freedom isn't free. Remember September 11?"

"Yes, I do, but if we beat these terrorists, it's just gonna make them madder, isn't it? They're not going to stop no matter how many people are in their way. What's going to stop them from attacking us now?" I would have liked to say that U.S. intelligence has nipped lots of terrorist attacks in the bud, but if you think about it, it would have been irrelevant.

"OK," I said. "If terrorists can destroy our infrastructure, our government, then we will be much, much more vulnerable to them, won't we? It goes the same way for us: if we can destroy the terrorist's infrastructure, they will be much more vulnerable and much weaker."
She agreed with me. "I know," she said. "I just want my friend to come home."

That was when our conversation ended. I wish I could have said this. "Do you see what these terrorist want to do? They want to force us to adopt their religion, and they want to kill anyone---absolutely anyone, man, woman, child---who gets in their way. Terror and fear are two of their greatest weapons; they want you to think that the grief and worry is too much a price to pay for freedom from them. They hate us, they want to make us their slaves. They want to treat you the way they treat woman in their country.
"I can't feel your worry for your friend, but I know it's not at all pleasant. Your friend is one of the many who have stood up and bet their lives that these terrorists can be stopped. He knows that he could die, but he's betting that even if he did die, there's hope for us. He's betting that it's better to die in Iraq than to even risk having our country overtaken by these Muslim terrorists."

After that, I don't really know what else to say.

#56: Wii don't need more Playstations

Is there anyone else out there concerned about video games?

While the media harps on video games like "Grand Theft Auto" for their violence, why is no one realizing that video games threaten to take over the hearts and minds of America (and the rest of the world, for that matter)??

The line between reality and video games is blurring. The Nintendo Wii translates your movements to the game via a motion sensing controller. That is extremely cool, and I can't wait to try it out, but I am worried that innovations like these are just going to make people more addicted to video games. Still, I kinda like how Nintendo is making an effort to make their games a family experience. That way, parents can control more how much time kids spend on the Wii.

I love some video games and have a Nintendo DS lite. But I know that it's easy to get addicted to video games (I've experienced it myself).

I remember hearing some say, "What video games would Jesus play?" Well, honestly...I don't think he'd play any video games! Can you imagine Jesus sitting down and spending three hours on Mario Kart? What a waste of time.

I don't really have any answers, though. Just want to share my mind.

Oh to be a fish

If I were a fish I could breath under water.

#56: I miss all my friends

I have friends in Virginia, Pennsylvania, California and Nebraska. So I have CONNECTIONS. If I ever want to orchestrate a tremndous hoax (like in "Signs) I can call all my friends and they will do they hoax for me. If I ever want to promote an idea or invention of mine, my friends will make posters and walk up and down their streets to promote it--in four different states. If I ever want to upset somebody, I can call all my friends and make snide remarks and people in four different states will be grouchy. If I ever want to prove to one of my friends in another state that I have CONNECTIONS, I can have all my friends call that other friend and prove that I have CONNECTIONS in four different states, representing four divers regions and nationalities.

#55: Why I haven't been blogging

The last real blog I had was four months ago. Since then, I've moved to a different state and gotten a job. I have had no peeves to whine about (at least no peeves that would make me feel smart to whine about) and I've had several revelations. Such as, I want to get a job so I can have some money. And, I am so tired of whining on my blog site. And, I love whining almost more than life itself.

This blog is somewhat a reflection of my life right now: totally random. Well, not really. I can't be random now because it might make me late for work.

ANYway, I am working on a research paper about C. S. Lewis (mostly just to satisfy some curiosity) and I might write a double movie review of "The Village" and "Lady in the Water".

#54: Why my screen name is "Kibitz Joe"

Kib-itz: noun.
To look on and offer unwanted advice.

Ha ha. If you have heart problems you probably shouldn't have read that.

Question:

A picture says a thousand words. What about a word picture?

The new home of Engaging Gray Matter (EGraM)

Spread the word! The URL http://mysite.verizon.com/vzeosi70 is no longer valid! I already miss it, because this blogspot.com page isn't nearly as flexible as the other page I was using. Oh, well. At least it's professionally designed?

So in case you haven't yet guessed, this is the new home of Egram. It's probably only temporary, because I would like to buy the URL EGmatter.com or something. In the mean time, I'll try to come up with some good, insightful blogs for your enjoyment, for the faithful few who take that five minutes...

Oh, yeah: I'm thinking about starting--maybe even switching to- a little e-mail blog, where I e-mail the blog to you. That has several advantages, and I could see it becoming a little e-magazine, with all kinds of people sending in stuff they've written. What do you all think of that? Speak up in the "comments" area.