Soapbox Time!!! - Love The Way You Lie

So yesterday I was in the car with Car and she had the radio on and the new Eminem single came on the radio. I have been blessed to have not heard this song until yesterday and listening to the song I got upset. I will now explain why.

The song is called Love the Way You Lie and it's about an abusive relationship. I guess the point is that the girl or both parties can't get out of the relationship because they're so in love that the beatings can be overlooked... I'm not 100% certain because some of the lyrics were hard to make out but I think I got the gist of what was happening in the song.

The song features Rihanna... Which I think makes her an idiot. I don't know if enough people have forgotten that, what a year ago, she was beaten black and blue by Chris Brown. Why would she agree to do this song? Why did the people around her let her do this song? It seems like a bad move. Yes, you need to stay relevant and always have something on the radio as a pop star. Yes, she got paid to the song. Yes, it's a hit. But doesn't the song point to an issue to her as a person? At some point she didn't have a conversation with herself where she said I can't do this song because of what happened to me and the message behind the song? Does she really not care?

Why do girls stay with guys who treat them poorly? There's a difference between someone with a bad boy image and a jackass. If a guy treats a girl badly and she doesn't stand up for herself or leave him, she is telling him his behavior is ok and that's wrong. Ladies, you deserve to be treated with respect and love and if you're not getting that, you should leave the guy you're with. We've come a long way since the old testament. There's no reason for a girl to be treated like garbage and take it.

It's a serious problem in America. The fact the girls were defending Chris Brown for having beat Rihanna blows my mind. Chris Brown should be jail. But instead, he faced community service, put out a record which people bought and loved and is in a new movie. The celebrity get out of jail free card is nonsense.

Guys are disrespectful, unfaithful, abusive, unloving, uncaring and yet still that can always manage to find girlfriends or keep the girls they're with.

(Side note, if a guy ever claims he has to masturbate because it's what guys do, that's a lie. He doesn't have to. Im nearly 26 and I've never masturbated. Your boyfriend doesn't have to and girls, you should let him.)

Girls, if you're in an abusive relationship, or just a bad relationship, you DESERVE and CAN find and do better.

On the same topic, I can't believe the record label let this be a single. I don't care that the song features two hot artist, or that it's catchy. I know record labels aren't really the moral compass of the world but the content of the song should have stricken it from being released a single.

It's sad the millions of teenagers are going to be singing this song without giving a second thought to the words coming out their mouth. It's despicable.

Punk Rock Bed Intruder

Ethan Luck from Relient K, Hayley Williams from Paramore, and Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory created a punk rock version of the Bed Intruder song. The song is still pretty entertaining even if you haven't seen the Bed Intruder video.




Here's the original

A Finger, Two Dots Then Me

I've been a fan of Derrick Brown for a couple years now. He sang for the band The John Wilkes Kissing Booth and then later for All Black Cinema. He's also a killer poet.

THEY'RE BACK!!!!

HOLY EMO BATMAN!!!

3 hours ago FSFofficial on twitter posted a link to their website with this video.

Spring 2011 from dashboardforever127 on Vimeo.

Now there have been a lot of band reunions that I have been extremely excited about and many reunion tours and shows that I have attended or will attend (some I'm pissed that I will have to miss). A lot of my favorite bands have reunited and I love it.

BUT FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER WITH CHRISTOPHER ENDER CARRABBA ON VOCALS PLAYING THE MOON IS DOWN IS THE GREATEST REUNION TOUR OF THEM ALL!!!

A Tale of Woe

So I have a problem at the moment. My mouth is salty. Yes, this sounds silly, or dumb, or crazy but it's true and it's affecting my life. I ate some yummy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream yesterday... And it was salty. My coffee this morning... Salty. Everything I eat is salty. There is just a general salty taste in my mouth at all times. And it sucks.

I don't know the cause... But I have a guess.

I started using whitening toothpaste and mouthwash to help my teeth out a little. I drink a lot of coffee and tea and the color of my teeth were suffering a little. So I switched my toothpaste and mouthwash. I've used the Scope whitening mouthwash before and I don't remember it leaving this terrible salty taste in my mouth. But I've never used the Crest 3d whitening toothpaste. I don't know if it's the combo of the two of them, or just one component but I think the whitening products are affecting how I taste things.

Yes, they have helped my teeth look whiter, but they are ruining ice cream. I'd rather have yellow teeth.

God Save the Foolish Kings

This is my favorite song of 2010 so far.

Floating Away On Endless Seas

I'm currently listening to And The Shallow Waters Aflutter With the Wind, a brand new Echo Broke Alone song. I've started writing and recording the new album. My goal is to have it out by the winter of 2010 at the latest. Yes, 2 Echo Broke Alone records in 2010. It's pretty exciting. Listening to the song earlier gave me the inspiration for the title of the new record, which is going to be Floating Away On Endless Seas. The album is inspired by the poetry of Robert Frost. That's all the news for now.

I love you

There's a story in Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli that I want to share on this blog. I've never read the book but last weekend Bryan Yarbrough of Anchor Church shared this story at Revolution and it hit me so hard and had just this instant impact that I have to share it.

There was a youth group that every month went to visit this retirement center once a month. One of the guys that volunteered, Darrel, would avoid going to the retirement home. He wasn't comfortable with elderly people so he didn't go. One time everyone in the youth group got the flu and he had to go. He stood along the back wall while they held a church service for seniors. During the service he felt somebody reach up and take his hand. He looked down to see an old man in a wheelchair, very mouth open and not very with it. He just stood there and not sure what to do so he just stood there holding his hand. Over time he found out his name was Oliver. He wondered if Oliver could even hear or was aware of what was happening. But each time Oliver would be rolled in and before he knew it Oliver would take his hand. But he found himself enjoying it and would go every month and take Oliver's hand. He had made a connection. One week as he was leaving he said "I have to go now Oliver. I love you. I'll see you soon." As he left he couldn't figure out why he had said that. It was very odd. But it became a constant thing where every time he would leave he would say, I have to go now, I love you." One week he came in and the service happened and Oliver wasn't there. He found a nurse and asked where Oliver was and the nurse led him to Oliver's room. And Oliver laid in his bed with his eyes closed and his breathing was heavy and Darrel knew that Oliver was dying. So he went in and sat next to Oliver and took his hand. He sat there not saying anything. It came time for him to go and he said I have to go now. I love you. He turned around with tears in his eyes and almost ran over a women coming into the room. He said I'm sorry I didn't see you. She said I've been waiting for you. I'm Oliver's granddaughter. She said, my grandfather and I have always been close so when I heard he was dying I came right away. The nurses said he wasn't talking but he talked to me. He talking very softly so I put my ear down and said what was that grandfather? He opened his eyes and said "Please say goodbye to Jesus for me." And she said what are you talking about. And he said every month Jesus comes and sits with me and holds my hand.

When Brian told this story I had to stop the video message so I could cry. Such a simple action that touched my heart.

YOu can hear Brian tell the story here. http://www.revolutionnyc.com/brian-yarbrough-visits-revolution/ The story is at the 7 minute mark.

Hipster Christianity

There's a pretty interesting article at the Wall Street Journal's website called "The Perils of Hipster Christianity" by Brett McCracken (and I guess the articles ties into his new book). The piece is about how when kids leave for college, they're also leaving church, and how the church has tried to combat that by being "cool". McCracken actually has a lot of good points and I agree with a lot of what he says to a degree. I do love his ending statement.

"As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same."

And this article has me interested in reading his book. Because although there are good points, I think a lot of his statements are misguided. While I agree that quoting Stephen Colbert or Lady Gaga during a sermon is lame, and yes, a church sponsored screening of No Country for Old Men doesn't seem right, is there a need to attack fashion? If the pastor is wearing skinny jeans or has a certain haircut, is that really a gimmick or is he just keeping up with the times? People change their fashion styles all the time and it's not like I think we're seeing a lot of pastors over 35 rocking skinny jeans in church.

I don't know if attacking churches for using technology is fair. A younger breed of pastors and churches are most certainly going to use technology to help them do church. The younger generation has been raised on technology and I don't know if using it in creative new ways during church is a bad thing.

I can't really address his comments about just being shocking for the sake of pushing the envelope because I don't really know anything about the churches he's talking about. I will say Rob Bell's Sex God was much less about sex then I thought it would be. And honestly, the title did it's job. It got me to pick up the book and buy it. It's good marketing. The book was good and not as sex focused as I thought it would be. I don't know if McCracken read the book or not. If he hasn't, it's not fair for him to use that as an example. And I also don't think there's anything wrong with honest talk about sex in the church. It's needed.

I'm interested in reading the book and hoping to really get a better explanation into McCracken's thoughts. The article isn't really expansive on anything he brings up and I guess that's not really the point. But it did get me interested in the book.

You can read the article here. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575355311122648100.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 1 - High Fidelity

"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

The very first words in High Fidelity give you just a little bit of perspective into what you're about to watch. John Cusack as the pathetic underdog Rob Gordon. The first time I watched High Fidelity I loved it. I mean half the movie is spent in a record store. High Fidelity is probably Jack Black's best film to date. He kills Let's Get It On at the end of the film. It's just great.

This movie started an unhealthy obsession with John Cusack that still stands today. High Fidelity is a move I'll put on when I'm bored, when I'm feeling bad about my life, or when I just need a good laugh. I love the movie. I know every line by heart, which bugs anyone I watch the movie with. Congratulations to High Fidelity. You are my favorite movie!

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 2 - The Incredibles

My top 2 movies are almost interchangeable and may differ depending on what day you ask me. But for this I'm giving The Incredibles the number 2 spot.

I instantly loved The Incredibles. I mean, it was a super hero movie! I was instantly taken back to my childhood. I loved watching any and all things Batman related growing up. I consumed super heroes. Comics books, movies, tv shows, toys. So The Incredibles was an instant hit in my book. This was the movie that really got me into Pixar. Although they had done great movies before it, The Incredibles was just a different movie experience for me.

The Incredibles is funny. Edna Mode (as voiced by director Brad Bird) is a great character. The banter between Frozone and his wife is great. It's a well written movie that, like all Pixar films, has so much heart. It's a great story, it's a great movie. It was the first time PIxar had done a movie that was a complete human cast/story. It was an amazing advance in technical animation, which you don't notice watching the movie because it's so enjoyable.

I have Incredible movie posters, an Incredibles t-shirt, an Incredible's piggy bank, and I will one day steal the Incredible's cookie jar that my sister and brother-in-law have.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 3 - Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is a mad scientist. When he first started directing films his objective seemed to be to deconstruct stories and but them together in a way that was entertaining and made the watcher pay close attention. Watching Reservoir Dogs for the first time, I spent the first part of the movie scratching my head.Pulp Fiction was a movie deconstructed and put back together all out of whack, and that's what makes it a great movie. I can't even imagine watching Pulp Fiction in chronological order.

Pulp Fiction is funny and violent. A perfect combination. It's not over the top in it's violence, but the visuals when violence is taking place are perfect. Samuel L Jackson was born to play Jules. It's probably plagued his career a little but I feel he doesn't mind. There are far too many memorable scene to comment on. I love Pulp Fiction! A Great Movie!

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 4 - Casablanca

I love Humphrey Bogart. The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre are both fantastic films. But Casablanca is my favorite Bogart film. It's not your typical love story but it works. Girl leaves boy. Boy starts nightclub. Girl returns married. Boy and girl kiss. Girl wants to stay with boy. Boy sends her away. It's not that simple but you get the gist.

The movie has classic status and it should. The acting is top notch and the story is killer. It's got a bunch of great one liners. Plus, how hot is Ingrid Bergman in the movie? She was seriously stunning. If you've never seen Casablanca... what's wrong with you?

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 5 - The Birds

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of horror films. Hitchcock didn't need gore and blood. He didn't need to make the lighting super dark and he didn't need to be really suspenseful. Hitchcock just played on basic human fears. Hitchcock films were usually situations that weren't out of the realm of possibility. A man thinks he witnesses his neighbor kill his wife and dump the body and his fight to prove that the neighbor did do it. A man's best friend is a rapist and murderer. These things could happen to anybody any day.

And the Birds is my favorite of all the Hitchcock films. My sister has never seen the Birds. If she saw the Birds she wouldn't sleep for months. She is scared of birds and watching a movie where birds attack people would probably ruin her life. I on the other hand love the movie. Birds don't scare me and an organized bird attack is highly unlikely but the idea that a disease or something could cause animals to go crazy and just start attacking people in nuts. The scene where the birds attack the school children is crazy!

Although The Birds is old and looks old and visually isn't really anything to gawk over, the idea is too strong and the way the movie plays on basic human fear is too good.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 6 - Toy Story

In 1995 Pixar released their first full length feature film Toy Story to the world. At age 11 I could quote the entire film and at nearly 26 I still can. Toy Story was the beginning of my favorite film company. It would trigger a love affair with Pixar that continues to this day.

Toy Story holds up very well. Before Toy Story 3 was released I had watched the first movie about a dozen times. It doesn't get old. A story of dealing with rejection and change. It's about old friends and making new friends. It's a great movie.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 7 - A Beautiful Mind

I was a senior in high school when A Beautiful Mind came out in theaters. I loved the movie. I saw it in theaters 5 times, possibly 6. Russell Crowe was brilliant in the movie. Gladiator got me to see this movie and I was glad I did. Like Toy Story 3, the story in A Beautiful Mind is so good you can't help but be enthralled the entire film.


It's a fantastic story of redemption. A fall from grace into tragedy with a character willing to do whatever it takes to overcome his obstacles and trails and in the end finds his redemption. You're so happy for Russell Crowe's character at the end that when they laid the pens down, I cried. It was a touching moment and a great way to end such a great movie.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 8 - Enter the Dragon

I love martial art films. In junior high my dad would take my brothers and I to see the latest Jackie Chan films. I remember watching marathons of Kung Fu on the weekends or the earlier morning 1970's samurai films, the poorly overdubbed ones. Even watching Martial Law with Sammo Hung on Saturday (or Sunday) nights. There is nothing better then a good karate movie.

Enter the Dragon takes the cake. It's Bruce F-ing Lee! Nobody is more badass than Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris wouldn't even mess with Bruce Lee. Yes Enter the Dragon is dated when you watch it now but isn't that part of the charm to the movie? The great opening with Jim Kelly and the awesome wannabe Shaft funk playing! The fight scenes are incredible. The over the top sound design for each and every punch. I wanted to be Bruce Lee when I was a kid. I still want to be Bruce Lee!!!

Bruce Lee died way too soon but that might only add to his legacy. Enter the Dragon is a great movie.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 9 - Wayne's World

SNL didn't have many winners when it came to converting skits to movies. Wayne's World was clearly the best. The movie was hilarious in junior high when I first saw it and it's a move that will still have me laughing hard to this day. Michael Myers and Dana Carvey were never funnier.

I love the multiple endings (the Scooby Doo ending is a nice touch). When Stacey rides her bike into the car and bites it is so freaking funny. Wane's World is a comedy that holds up. My girlfriend hates the movie but I say it's really freaking funny.

Top 10 Favorite Movies: 10 - Toy Story 3

Yes, it's a new movie but it was good enough to be in my top 10. I'm sure over time, this movie will probably climb higher on the list but it sits at 10 today. I love the original Toy Story and while Toy Story 2 was a good film, it wasn't on the same level as the first. Toy Story 3 was on par with the first.

Toy Story 3 has everything a good movie should. Action, drama, tension, romance, a dilemma, and a happy ending. Toy Story 3 had me on the edge of my seat. When our gang of beloved toys is slowing headed towards the fire with the trash I was about to lose it. They all held hands and decided that their final moment was going to spent with each other, friends. I was about to standup in the theater and yell at the creative minds at Pixar. They were about to ruin many a 20 somethings childhood and were going to scar new fans forever. For that moment I truly believed that this would be the last of Buzz and Woody. But alas the pizza planet aliens save the day and our heroes.

Woody is a great hero. Instead of going home to Andy to go off to college, Woody heads back to Sunnyside to save his friends. And then at the end of the movie, instead of letting his friends be put in the attic while Andy heads to college with Woody, Woody does what's right, and has Andy give his toys to Bonnie, so they can continue to live a happy life and provide entertainment for a new kid.

I've only seen it twice. I'm hoping to see it again before it leaves theaters. I love the movie.

Top 10

I've decided to take some time this week and blog about my Top 10 favorite movies of all time. It should be awesome. 9 and 10 coming later today.

My new favorite worship song

All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead

So I guess August is the month I will be blogging again...

I'm going through my itunes library alphabetically by album. I had been going through alphabetically by artist but album is way more interesting. I nearly 59 days worth of music in my library. 125 GB of music and growing every day. I collect a lot of band's catalogs. I like to have entire discographies. But I'm trying to cut down my library a little bit. Helmet is a good band. Meantime is great album. Aftertaste on the other hand I don't really enjoy. So instead of coming to a band where I know I like some albums and I skip around on songs and don't delete anything, I can now listen to Aftertaste and realize that I don't like that record and delete from my library.

The other advantage to listening to my library alphabetically by album is it's a more diverse playlist. I had a stretch where I listened to Strongarm, Calibretto 13, The OC Supertones, BoySetsFire, and Sigur Ros. That's a lot of good bands, ranging lots of genres. It doesn't get stale.

It'll be a big challenge going through my library. I'm currently still in A. I have a lot of listening ahead of me.

Why Prop 8 Being Overturned Upsets Me

So Prop 8 was overturned in California today. Now I've been vocal on this blog about my support for some form of gay rights, whether it's marriage or something else. I think the discrimination is wrong and I would like to see things change in some fashion.

But this is the second time a gay marriage ban has been lifted in California. Twice now the people of California have voted against gay marriage being legal and twice now a judge has decided that what the people want is wrong. And my problem is this gets into a grey area for me. If you want gay marriage to be upheld and legal in the state, then don't put it on the ballot for people to vote against it. Because I have a feeling that if this makes a ballot again, gay marriage will be banned in California for a third time.

The problem I have is this takes away the people's vote and what the majority in the state of California want. What's to stop other issues from being overturned by a judge? I hate to think that voting doesn't matter if a judge or group of people decide I don't know what's best. I don't always know what's best for the country or state or city, but if you put an issue on a ballot and the people vote one way on it, what the people want should be upheld and not overturned by a judge.

That is all. I will step off my soapbox.

I want to sail around the world

Probably my biggest inspiration is the open seas and the idea of sailing. So much so that I tattooed a ship and lighthouse on my arm. I love the idea of being able to explore the world. In the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie the characters talk a lot about being in love with the sea and the freedom sailing gives them. I like that concept.

Haynesworthless

While I've covered a lot of hockey on this blog and I my love for the Caps strong, I'm a fan of football and the Redskins. SO I'm going to post some thoughts on the biggest name this offseason and training, Albert Haynesworth.

I didn't like the signing of Albert from the get go. It was too much money for a guy who hadn't played an entire season in 6 years. Plus, giving a guy that much money to come and play in the dysfunctional mad house that was the Redskins last year... Not good. And of course, Albert got hurt, often. He pulled himself out of plays whenever he did play because after one play he had to suck oxygen.

So a new GM and coaching staff comes in over the offseason and the entire team shows up to OTAs and all the offseason training. Even Clinton Portis showed up and has worked hard and kept his mouth shut. But ALbert took his 20 million dollar check and never bothered to show in Ashburn to Redskins Park and train. So he was warned that if he didn't show up at 50% or more of the offseason training sessions and mini-camps that he would have to take a conditioning test when we did arrive at training camp. If he failed, he couldn't practice.

And that's where we today. Day 7 of training camp and Albert hasn't practiced yet. He took the conditioning test twice and failed. He's been sitting out with a "sore knee" since Saturday. And my thought it the Skins need to just take the salary cap it and cut the guy. What good is he? Mike Shanahan needs to continue to not let Albert practice until he passes the test. If his knee is really sore that means he took a conditioning test twice and is injured. Not a good sign for the season. I don't want someone who is a guaranteed injury this season. If he's not really hurt and is just being a bitch about taking the test, that's not a guy you want on your team. Sorry folks, the Skins defense, and team as a whole, is far better off with Haynesworth not on the team. He's a super distraction. Thank God for Brett Favre retirement nonsense to make Haynesworth a side note on Sports Center this morning.

My hope is that Shanahan doesn't give in and let Albert practice with passing the conditioning test. At some point the Skins are going to take away his money and maybe that will get Albert on the field.

Inception

So I saw Inception today. Way latter then everyone else but I finally got to the theater and saw it. And to be honest, it left me kind of empty. It was good and I certainly enjoyed it to an extent but I didn't think it was brilliant or the greatest movie ever made. And I think to really grasp it I need to see it again. Visually it had some cool moments and the fight scenes were pretty cool. The anti-gravity fight scene in the hotel was spectacular.

But the story left too much to be desired. As a story it was disappointing. I feel like I've been reading too much Donald Miller lately because all that I could think about the movie was how hollow the story was. Their wasn't any depth to the film. There was no real reason to route for the characters or feel for them in any way. The "plot twists" you could pretty much see coming. I thought that what story the movie had was stretched so far over the movie that it was a disservice. When we get to critical backstory points, we're an hour and a half to two hours into the film.

I wish there had been more time taken to explain... well everything. You're thrown into the middle of a story where bits and pieces are revealed throughout the film to give you just enough of an insight into your main character. And although we know what's driving DeCaprio's character, I don't feel like I was ever given a real reason to truly care if they pulled the job off or not.

I might have to find time to see this movie again... But I don't know if I really want to.

Up was a great movie. The best of 09 and it should've won Best Picture. Here's a mash-up trailer.