Tuesday, September 2, 2008

It's Ventin' Time!

I realize I haven't posted here in a while, but I've had a frustrating day and I needed to get some stuff off my chest.

1. Why is it that no one ever seems to get it when I'm being facetious? I have another blog where I mainly write about sports, and I often make posts that have a tongue-in-cheek tone. I try to be funny but I always get stupid comments asking me how I could think something or other. For real? I make statements that no one who knew anything about sports would make and they think I'm being serious. It's frustrating because you'd like to think someone out there got it and appreciated the humor, but most of the comments indicate otherwise.

It's not just on my blog though. Even in real life people don't seem to pick up on it. I'm I just too subtle or am I just a really poor communicator?

2. Why does Lou Piniella keep putting Bob Howry in the game? Hasn't he figured out by now that he isn't good?

3. I got a message from Firefox asking me to upgrade to the new version. I'd gotten this message before and I figured I'd just do it so I'd stop getting the message. If you're using an older version of Firefox I have some advice for you: Don't upgrade to Firefox 3.0. It has this new URL bar, apparently called the AwesomeBar, and it's a piece of crap. It gives you way too much information, like the headers of the pages you've visited and things that are already in your favorites. It might not be so bad if you could turn off this particular option, but you can't. I'm really upset, but I'm not sure how good an idea it is to reinstall an old version of Firefox due to security issues.

I'm aparently not the only one who feels this way judging by comments I've seen on other forums, but Firefox apparently thinks their new URL bar is the best thing since disposable diapers and intends on keeping it that way. I just want to type in the URL without getting a bunch of crap. Is that too much to ask?

4. It's hard being a young single guy. I work with several guys in their 40's and 50's and they constantly make references to me getting married and having children and such. I'm really getting sick of it, because this is a touchy issue for me. I don't have a girlfriend and the longer I live the more likely I think it is that I never will. I'm not so sure I'm cut out to be a father either. I've told them these things before but they apparently don't think I'm being serious, because they insist on bringing it up over and over again. Why don't people just listen?

Anyway, it's been a rough day. On my "Idol" blog I had been planning to post another Top Ten list but never got around to it. Perhaps I should work on that, even though no one even cares about Season 7 anymore. Hopefully Season 8 will be better, but I doubt it will be if they tinker with it too much.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

I Feel Like College Was a Waste

In America we have this idea that everyone has to go to college to be successful. I only have one thing to say to that: Unless you're sure of where you're going in life and how you plan to use your college education, think about it long and hard before you go to college. Otherwise you might very well be stuck with no direction in life and having loans to pay off.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

One More Year

George W. Bush will no longer be president one year from now. Even though I originally voted for the guy I have to say he's been a letdown. He really hasn't been a strong conservative, and it's clear that he wasn't the best man for the job. I'm not saying I think the Democrats would've done any better, but it's a shame that the Republicans couldn't do better than Bush.

This year when I vote I'll do a write-in if I have to. I'm no longer about supporting the lesser of two evils. I want a president who will truly make a difference. If that means I have to "throw away" my vote, sobeit. Of course, if the media weren't trying to squelch Ron Paul's chances he probably would have emerged as the favorite in the Republican race by now. Is there still hope for this country with all the government and media corruption?

My TV Addiction is Back

I feel so pathetic getting into reality TV, the very thing I once hated. My schedule currently looks something like this:

Monday: "Dance War"
Tuesday: "American Idol"
Wednesday: "American Idol"
Thursday: "The Apprentice"
Friday: Nothing definite, but there's this show premiering on CMT called "Gone Country" that looks like it might be interesting. We shall see how much I get into that one.

I wish the "Idol" auditions would hurry up so we can get to the performances. I suppose we get a good background on some of the singers now (admittedly, I'm not going to vote for someone with a personality I dislike), but the music is ultimately why I watch the show.

This year "Idol" is going to be different for me. Last year I knew the father of one of the contestants, so I voted for that contestant most of the way. This year I feel more free to choose whomever I want. I'm planning to vote for all the contestants I like each week. Last year there were several contestants I liked who got eliminated and I felt bad that I hadn't voted for them. If that happens this year, at least I won't have the guilt.

I'm also hoping to write recaps of all the performance (and possibly result) shows. I thought it would be good to be able to look back on my first impressions of certain contestants, and perhaps my comments will even be entertaining. I thought my family and I made some funny comments when watching last year (for instance, my mother said that Blake Lewis looked like Howdy Doody when he sang), and perhaps the general public would enjoy them too (assuming anyone actually reads this blog).

I just hope that there'll be some true underdogs to root for in this competition, as it's been revealed that several contestants have had past record deals and such. With all the information that's out there I won't be surprised if there are several shocking eliminations this year.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

I Hate Women's Fashions

Recently I noticed that my sister was wearing clothes that made her underwear visible. Our society seems to have an epidemic of visible underwear, and I don't like it. I asked her why she was wearing it, and she told me that it's nearly impossible to find anything that looks feminine that doesn't reveal underwear. I found her answer upsetting, because it shows what a sad state we're in as far as fashion goes.

Personally, I've always had a hard time respecting girls who let their underwear show. I'm a guy, so it's hard not to look at it. Even visible skin between the shirt and pants is attention-grabbing and inspires inappropriate thoughts in me. Why is it that most girls allow that stuff to show? Perhaps a better question would be why there aren't any better clothes out there for our sisters to wear. Why must they sacrifice respectability in order to meet the criterion of femininity?

This issue is only supports my belief that American society is destroying the truly beautiful women. When I see movies that take place in the old days I feel like it would've been so much easier for me to find a wife back then. In those days women wore long dresses, so there wasn't a modesty problem like there is today. Society taught that women were to be respectable. I'm sure someone would argue that it was a worse time, because society didn't allow women to have as many rights back then. Still, I'd imagine that most women want to be loved and respected. Perhaps the old-fashioned values of yesteryear meant that a man was more likely to find a woman he could love and respect. Women like that are certainly harder to find these days.

I don't want to be preoccupied with sexual thoughts anytime I'm around a woman. I want to be focused on her virtues and inner beauty. Honestly, the women I've known throughout my life have never seemed more beautiful to me than when they were dressed up in winter clothes. Perhaps it's just a personal preference. Perhaps I'm more focused on inner beauty when a woman is bundled up. All I know is that I love the cold months for the beauty they bring out in women. While my carnal side enjoys seeing the women during the warm months, it's equally unenjoyable because of the constant struggle it brings with it.

I hate the idea that guys are looking at my sister's underwear. She's better than that. Unfortunately, she's becoming an adult, and I can't stop her from wearing what she wants to wear. I can only pray that God will convict her on the issue. I also hope that the tide will turn toward modest fashions. Women shouldn't be forced to give up their modesty to fit in. They should know that God gave every one of them beauty, and that revealing clothing doesn't exhibit it, but rather suppresses it.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Did I Witness History...or Was it Just Another Game?

Last night I had a hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks on TV. Two players on the Canucks scored their first NHL goals. Their names were Mason Raymond and Jason Jaffray. I just wanted to make a note of it in case these guys end up becoming big name players. If not, well, life goes on.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Are Holidays Really Holidays Anymore?

The older I get the less excited I get about certain things. Take holidays, for instance. Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I had a nice meal with my family and we generally had a good day. Still, it didn't feel like we really got into the spirit of the holiday and focused on what we were thankful for. We had a brief mention of it at the table, but in general it seemed like it was just a day to take off work and have some turkey.

The word "holiday" comes from "holy day." The purpose of holy days being set aside is to give us the opportunity to focus our minds on something bigger than day-to-day life. We're supposed to remember things like the sacrifices made by people before us or the love God has shown to humanity. We're supposed to reflect on the fact that our lives are all shaped by things beyond what we can see and when we return to the mundane we should have a renewed sense of perspective.

Sadly, I know that isn't the case for me enough. Like so many others, I think more about the rituals surrounding the holidays and forget about their true meaning. What if we took away the turkey, the football and the huge family get-togethers at Thanksgiving and just discussed with some close loved ones what we were thankful for? Wouldn't that be more likely to help us achieve that renewed sense of perspective? Wouldn't it eliminate the stress and help us accomplish what we intended with the whole setting aside a day thing?

Christmas is the next big holiday approaching. I already suggested the idea of no one exchanging gifts this year to my mother, and she didn't seem totally opposed to the idea. Still, we'll probably end up getting caught up in the stress of putting up decorations, buying gifts and wishing our loved ones a Merry Christmas that we'll lose focus on the true meaning just like we always do. Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas to me anymore. It feels like a ritual. If I'm not focusing on my Savior's birth, is there even any point to me celebrating Christmas? It's not as if the Bible tells us we have to celebrate Christmas. We just do it because it was a tradition started by the church. If we can focus on Jesus and gain a renewed sense of perspective at Christmas time, that's good. If we're only observing it because it's a fun tradition though, is that truly pleasing to God?

Holidays can be fun. Some of my best memories are from holidays. I just think more people (myself included) need to remember that they aren't just designated celebration days. They have a purpose. Keeping those purposes in mind would be for the better in all our lives.