I got my very first musical instrument EVER about a month or two ago... Can you guess what it is?
Her name is Rocksie and she is amazing. <3 Most people choose to learn guitar, especially in high school/college. I chose to play...
...BASS!
I just realized that I did not make a post updating about American Idol and my audition...
My final decision on auditioning for season 8 is a flat-out NO. I have plenty of different activities going on in my life right now, and plenty more coming up, so this year is just not going to be a good time to audition. I am 99.9% sure that I will be trying out in 2009, though, so look for me on TV then (if AI is still around**)!
**There is plenty of speculation about American Idol ratings going down the crapper, figuratively, so season 8 might not exist, much less season 9...
Okay, I have been meaning to post about this movie for MONTHS... And now that my brother Javier has become an avid blogger overnight, I need to catch up!
Across the Universe is a movie that was released on a very small scale in few theatres in the U.S. because of a stupid fight that Sony had with brilliant director Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus). The only thing I knew about this movie when I saw the ridiculously few commercials in theatres was that it was a musical set to songs by The Beatles (color me excited!!). The commercials were so fast-paced and colorful, but I couldn't figure out exactly what the plotline was. I'm kind of glad it wasn't obvious, because it made my viewing experience that much more amazing.
My brothers and I saw AtU in theatres, I believe, on opening weekend, and were each blown away by the entire colorful/beautiful/crazy/hippie ordeal. It was mind-blowing for me, personally, because I didn't know what to expect at any point in time. Even the ending was atypical (I won't ruin it for you), and to be honest, I walked out of the theatre unsure of how I felt about it at first. When I did a little more research about the various aspects of the movie and characters, I began to realize that what had happened to me was kind of like building a friendship with someone, getting to know them very well, and then realizing you're in love with them. :) I fell head over heels in love with AtU!
I believe I saw it in theatres 4 times total, and one of those times was all by myself because no one wanted to go with me... Too bad for them, they missed out!
Here is a plot synopsis from its IMDb page, submitted by a fan:
An original musical film, Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll. At once gritty, whimsical and highly theatrical, the story moves from high schools and universities in Massachusetts, Princeton and Ohio to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Detroit riots, Vietnam and the dockyards of Liverpool. A combination of live action and animation, the film is paired with many songs by The Beatles that defined the time.
To be completely realistic, there are some inconsistencies in plot, but the story and visuals are so amazing that I can't help but ignore the flaws (as one reviewer said, "Flawed movie, but nevertheless breathtaking"). Every time I have seen this movie (I think the count is up to 30 or so now), I have gotten sucked into the story to the point where, if someone talks to me, I almost literally have to "wake up" just to pay attention to them. I find that to be the mark of a great film.
I give AtU an A++.
Look, I'm posting, I'm posting! I've also revamped a few little things here and there, so maybe my blog will be search engine worthy soon... :)
Anyway, I've been thinking (or obsessing) about what to sing when I do finally try out for American Idol. I have a few songs in mind, and I know I'll come up with (and learn) more by the time the audition comes around. For now, if you're curious, here is my very short list of possibilities for my audition.
Hear Me by Kelly Clarkson
Breathe by Faith Hill
New York, New York by Frank Sinatra (originally sung by Liza Minelli)
Blackbird by Evan Rachel Wood (originally written/sung by The Beatles)
Hold Me Tight by Evan Rachel Wood (originally written/sung by The Beatles)
Hi, did ya miss me? I know it's been a long time. Maybe I'll be better about posting on here now that I have a focus. See the following entry to find out what it is...!
I never thought I'd be considering this (EVER), especially after the post I made about Sanjaya last year... But I think I want to try out for American Idol next year.
*collective gasp from my two regular readers* (yeah I know, two is pushin it...)
No, really. I think I want to try out. I'm actually watching this season fro
m the start (for the record, I haven't consistently followed a season from the beginning since Kelly Clarkson). Something stirred inside me, probably because I haven't seriously sang, besides in church, since 2004. I tried out for Gimme the Mike and Gospel Dream a few years ago, but I didn't prepare nearly as much as I should have. I did pretty well with Gimme the Mike, considering how I got overly ambitious with my song and totally choked in the second round. Gospel Dream wasn't very fair, but I won't get into that, and I swear I'm not bitter. Really.
I'm giving myself from right now until the next auditions in Texas (ANYWHERE in Texas) to shape up my voice and breathing, as well as my image. I don't think that's too ambitious.
I figure, hey, I'm not getting any younger. Might as well give this a shot before I get too old to audition... I think I would regret not trying.
So here goes nothin!
I was checking my email this morning when one of my Google Alerts popped up in my inbox. This one is for any time the word "Catholic" is found on a Web site, article, or blog... So imagine my surprise when I see this headline within the email: "Kathy Griffin's Jesus remark cut from Emmy show". My first thought was, "Oh, it probably wasn't as bad as they're making it out to be, and she was probably goofing and apologized afterward anyway."
A direct quote from the article:
"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus," an exultant Griffin said, holding up her statuette. "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."
I have to ask. Was that really necessary, Griffin? Please, I want to know if you felt like you changed the world with your little bit of blasphemy. The only good thing about this is that they did cut her comment from the telecast of the Emmys.
She wasn't exactly full of remorse backstage either:
"Asked about her speech backstage a short time later, an unrepentant Griffin added, "I hope I offended some people. I didn't want to win the Emmy for nothing.""
You know, I probably wouldn't have such a big problem with this if she were atheist or another religion that doesn't accept Jesus or something, but ay, there's the rub:
"Griffin's reaction to the imbroglio, according to a statement issued by her publicist: "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?"
So you're Catholic, Kathy? Really? You have got to be the worst ambassador for the Catholic Church ever. Leave it to the rest of us who actually want to be involved in meaningful conversations about our Lord and Savior. You're giving us Catholics a bad reputation, and we have enough to worry about with the whole priest ordeal and ex-communicating people and whatnot. (Ooh, there's an idea... Just joking.)
I'm SO glad that God is a merciful and forgiving God. Otherwise, when Kathy got to the Pearly Gates, He would totally say, "No, you can't come in. You dissed my Son. Suck it, Griffin." She's lucky He's not like that.
Oh goodness. On Tuesday, I was offered a position as a writer/editor for Chevron's writing team...
...which I, of course, accepted!
This is truly amazing, because to get a job at Chevron is already pretty difficult. Somehow, I managed it!
This means I'm set for life. :D Really! I'll be able to save up, pay off debt, pay for my wedding (whenever that is.... ;) heehee), etc... It's really exciting news, so naturally, I thought I would share it with the blog world to which I have become a tad distant. My apologies, everyone!
I'll try to be better about writing, now that it's my job! :)
I thought for a bit on how I wanted to categorize this post. I almost created a new category ("Music... or lack thereof"), specifically for this topic, but decided against it.
American Idol. Sanjaya Malakar. Do those words ring bells to anyone? I haven't been watching this season (in fact, the only season I watched religiously was the first one [go Kelly Clarkson !!!], and then I caught a few episodes of the season in which Taylor Hicks won), but I might as well have been watching with how much I hear about the results.
America has gotten bored with voting for people they actually like on AI, and have turned to voting for people who are less than talented (watch any of the videos of this kid Sanjaya on YouTube, you'll see what I mean) to see if they can trip up the show. Okay, so he's 17. Great. He made it past Simon, Paula, and Randy to Hollywood. Good for him. But this show is about proving that you're better than ANYONE on that show, not proving that you're better than most people your age. It's about finding an American Idol. That's why it's called AMERICAN IDOL.
I think, in this video, a comment that Sanjaya offers is what drills the point home for me:
"My goal this week is to make America see that I actually can sing."
Well, I'm sorry, Sanjaya, but the first two notes you sang in Tony Bennett's classic proved that you CAN'T sing. You may be able to carry a tune okay, but if America were as critical as they have been in the past, you would've been voted off faster than you can say "Karaoke Idol" (courtesy of Simon).
That's the problem: he tries to emulate the artists that originally sing the songs he picks, instead of trying to make the songs his own. About the only way he tries to own the songs is with those ridiculous hairdos (shock factor, oh boy, how exciting *yawn*). Randy seems to like the whole hair thing, but the fact that he says, "You know what? I can't even comment on the vocals anymore or whatever", is testament to the fact that he knows America's going to vote for him anyway, even if "the vocals were a little off since the beginning" (courtesy of Paula).
Wake me up if the next season starts. I already know how this one's going to turn out, but I fear it may be the end of American Idol if this kid wins.
I know I've been absent from the blogosphere lately, and I won't give excuses... but here's a cute joke I got from the Happy Catholic blog:
The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.
St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven."
Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was."
St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions.
First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
Second: How many seconds are there in a year?
Third: What is God's first name?"
Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers"
Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow."
The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer.
How about the next one?" asked St. Peter. "How many seconds in a year?
Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve."
Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?"
Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd... "
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name"?
"Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy."
"Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. "Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?"
"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all, " Forrest replied. "I learnt it from the song, "ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN."
St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."
This is the best quote ever (taken from The Beatles' wiki page) and epitomizes everything I love about The Beatles:
"[Paul] McCartney once asked [George] Martin what a guitar would sound like if it was played underwater, and was serious about trying it. [John] Lennon also wondered what his vocals would sound like if he was hanging upside down from the ceiling. Clearly their ideas were out-stripping the technology that was available at the time."
They're definitely my most favorite band in the world. So incredibly innovative! So amazingly musical! The PERFECTION that was (and still is, in my mind) The Beatles, lies in this quote.
| OMG. This is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. Makes me want to help the little baby find its momma! | |
This post is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the events of 9/11/2001, and for their families, who still feel the pain of having their loved ones torn away from them. My love and prayers are with you all.
Well well well, I knew this was gonna happen!
Apparently Jessica Simpson is having problems with her voice. She went to see a voice specialist and he told her that she is to take vocal rest, or she may ruin her voice for life.
I know how the woman feels, because I have vocal nodules myself. I saw her perform at the rodeo my senior year (along with Nick Lachey and Kelly Clarkson), and I was less than pleased with her. It was clear that she wasn't using her voice the correct way. I heard her straining and bearing down on her voice SO much. I was actually shocked that she had been able to sing for all these years without any problems.
Well, it's finally caught up to her. I knew it would happen. I feel bad for her, because nodes aren't fun. If you don't take care of your voice and use it right, you risk losing it forever. I hope she gets better and that this vocal rest does her some good.
I also hope that she changes the way she sings. I bet she would sound a million times better if she would just be lighthearted and happy with her voice... As opposed to the "big lion" voice she's always trying to use. Stop showing off, Jess, and just make some good music. Write songs that fit your range vocally. Do NOT push it to the limit anymore, you don't need that. Take care of yourself, girl.
(Can someone please make sure that Ms. Jessica Simpson receives my comments? See, I'm not a famous blogger or anything... *coughPerezHiltoncough*)
Okay everyone, you all know that I'm CRAZY about Cute Overload and I check it every day. There are 3 posts that I've seen recently that are definitely blog-worthy because they're so ridiculous!
This sneezing panda pup is hi-larious and I fall to pieces every time I watch it!
The gang-snorgling of a kitty cat by many many dogs was almost scary, but kitty lives (I don't want you guys to be scared, so yes, I gave away the ending), and it turns out really freakin cute.
Kittens that disapprove of stuff are ALMOST as good as bunnies that disapprove of stuff. I say ALMOST because it's hard for kittens to have that disapproving face ALLLL the time, while the bunnies have proved that they can pull it off at the drop of a [magician's] hat.
ENJOY THE CUTENESS!
So... I am generally a good, normal person, just like anyone else... And like any normal person, I do have my guilty pleasures. On that [very short] list of guilty pleasures, I have found a place for the brand spankin new movie, Snakes on a Plane. Maybe you've heard of it? :)
Anyway, I just finished watching it (the 10:20pm showing, and it's now about 1am), and I must say... It's my new favorite movie. I would even venture to say that, to me, it's the best movie. Ever. It's THAT good.
I do recommend Snakes on a Plane (or SoaP for short) to many people, but do keep in mind that it's rated R for a reason. There is nudity, blood and gore, strong language, etc... So use your best judgement.
SoaP RULES!
Oh gosh... I've been gone for a while. :\ Sorry! And I used to get on Adam's case for not posting enough... He's totally got me beat, it's been ... uhh... a month?? Or more. I'm bad.
I've been hard at work, so the cause for my absence is actually a bit more than just "Oh gosh, I'm too lazy to type up a blog entry..." I started my new job last Monday, so today marks a week! I've been a counselor's secretary for a week! *dances* :)
It's been CRAZY, but I've been having fun working at my awesome brand new elementary school...! School starts TOMORROW, and I'm kinda like... I have no idea what to expect. But I'm sure it'll be fun, cuz everything has been fun from the moment I walked in on the first day. I love my job!
The one thing I need to do is decorate my office... It echoes so much in there, and it's completely white... Bland... :( The kiddos will NOT want to sit in there very long (they have to come see me first to make an appointment with a counselor, but sometimes they just need someone to talk to and the counselors are all busy, so I'm here for 'em!). Hopefully, my wonderful and talented mother will be able to create a masterpiece of a leopard (Andre' Elementary's mascot) for my big bland white wall. That would RULE!
And to end this very pointless entry... A very pointless (but extremely entertaining) video!
I want to talk about love. What does it mean? How do you know if you're in love? Plain and simple: what is love?
Just as plain and simple: God is Love.
Without God, there is no Love. There is only lust, and like, and a million and one imitations of love... But not real, true, deep Love. Not the kind of Love that it took for my Savior to feel the most wretched of pains for you and me. Not the kind of Love that caused Him to "pick up the tab" for our sins. No. This fake plastic love is only an imitation.
Next time you think you're in love, or that you love someone, think about this: is God the center of your universe? Is He totally involved in your love for this person? Would your relationship with this person be affected in a positive way if you were to talk about God with them? If you answered "no" to these questions, then I can assure you: the "love" you think you have is fake.
I will make no apologies to anyone who chooses to be offended by what I just said, much in the same way that I did not receive an apology the first time someone told me this.
So I didn't make it onto "Gospel Dream"... But that's okay. I had a lot of fun trying out (though I was EXTREMELY nervous in my actual audition), and I ran into some people I know from high school. That was cool; I think God brought Savannah to me at that moment (before results were announced) because he knew I'd be disappointed about not getting on the show. Savannah and I made jokes, stared at our boyfriends (they had to stand in the back of the room, whereas all the contestants were sitting in chairs near the front), giggled at the likeness of our thoughts, and overall just had fun finding each other again! :) It was great to see her and Greg again, they're awesome people.
Adam and I had tons o' fun from the moment we woke up (4am, otherwise known as the buttcrack of dawn) til the end of the day as I waited out an ugly thunderstorm at his house. We ate at Joe's Crab Shack, went to Radio Shack (gosh, that was weird, I just realized we went to 2 shacks... hahaha), and listened to my iPod in his car. Just an overall good day! :) Thanks for coming along for my moral support, sweetheart, and next year, I'm gonna make it..!
The Newsboys concert was FREAKIN AWESOME, they put on such a great show! I also got to see a few bands before them that I really like, such as Building 429 and Caedmon's Call. Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys was there, he played a bunch of songs before Newsboys came onstage, and he really impressed me! He exploded onto the Christian music scene in a big way, and you can tell that he's really happy where he is now. I'm definitely a fan of Brian now! :) You should give a listen to "Angels and Heroes" or the one that is frequenting KSBJ, "Welcome Home (You)".
Oh goodness... I don't know why people taunt me in this way. I found an article through my best friend's Xanga about a group of people's attempt to implement simplified spelling into schools.
People... English is English is English a thousand times over. It changes organically. Obviously, we don't spell like "Ye Olde Shoppinge Centre" anymore, but you can't force a change in a language the way this group of people is trying to do. We all grew up learning the same "hard" spellings and we all turned out fine, right?
I think the most frustrating thing about this article is that its author spews stuff like this throughout:
"Thae sae th bee selebraets th ability of a fue stoodents to master a dificult sistem that stumps meny utherz hoo cuud do just as wel if speling were simpler."
What does that even say??? I really had a tough time reading the sections written in this manner. Maybe it is because I am studying to be an English teacher (who might be out of a job if this change takes place)... I don't know. I just know that this mess is way too unfamiliar and it will only confuse things.
I didn't say anything when they added "Muggle" to the Oxford English Dictionary (partly because I think it's pretty cool, and I love Harry Potter). I tried to keep my lips sealed when words like "irregardless" were incorporated into regular speech (it has the EXACT same meaning as "regardless", so the "ir-" is unnecessary). I had a very hard time dealing with the fact that ebonics had become commonplace. But I will not stand for simplifying English even more than what people have already forced. It's bad enough that certain incorrect words are used so much that they wind up in the dictionary. Phonetic English is NOT the way of the future.
A really good quote from a forum about this topic:
"Poor spelling and illiteracy are not synonymous, and changing how words are spelled will not solve the problem of illiteracy. If these people want to stamp out illiteracy, try encouraging kids to read, instead of telling them that reading needs to be simplified."
Too true, and I KNOW that has to be one of the problems with kids today. Also, a point that didn't cross my mind until I read this quote:
"Then, there are a lot of different accents--how will we find a way to write them how they sound if they sound different to different people?"
I think I've made my point.
So I'm drivin along down 290, mindin my own business, when I see this billboard or something to this extent:
COCA COLA ZERO: BLATANT COCA-COLA IMPERSONATION
I nearly hit a Lexus because I was in such a state of shock*. Blatant impersonation? BLATANT impersonation?? blaTant imPERSONatioN??? That's not necessarily a good thing. If you're blatantly impersonating someone or something, that's... uhh... Not good.
If I cared at all about diet drinks, I would probably take the approach that my father does and say that I hate the extreme sweetness of regular soft drinks, and that's why I drink diet soft drinks. Thus, if this CCZ is as blatant an impersonation of regular Coke as it says it is, then I wouldn't want to drink it (this is assuming that I care about diet drinks, which, in case you didn't pick up on it, I don't). However, if it's NOT as blatant an impersonation of regular Coke as it says it is, then it's lying, and lying is WRONG.
I have come to the conclusion that CCZ probably sucks, and I refuse to taste it to make sure. They suck so bad that I'm not even going to link the CCZ web site. I'm stickin it to The Man!
*: I did not nearly hit a Lexus. I didn't even see a Lexus today.
So, who has heard of the tv show "Gospel Dream"?
[crickets chirping]
Uhm, riiiight. So. "Gospel Dream" is basically a Christian music version of "American Idol". They're currently doing auditions in 6 different cities, and Houston is up next week on Saturday, July 22nd. As you can imagine (if you know me at all), I am very excited about this and I will DEFINITELY be waiting in line to sing! I found out about this show on accident (if you can call Google Alerts for "christian music" an accident), and apparently it's been going on since 2003.
If I make it, I will write a blog post about it for sure, and I will expect everyone to get the Gospel Music Channel so you can vote for me!!! :)
By the way, everyone probably also knows I'm from Venezuela. This is an article about the Catholic church being concerned about Venezuela's political situation: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203228,00.html
So, as everyone has probably figured out by now, I'm Catholic. I've only been a truly practicing Catholic for almost 2 years now (long boring story), but I have already endured a tiny taste of what cradle Catholics (people who have been raised Catholic) have probably gone through all their lives. As Catholics, people accuse us of all kinds of different things. Because as humans, we sometimes need visuals in order to understand something, "Catholics worship statues!" Because we have special devotions to different saints, "Catholics worship saints!" Because we believe in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, "Catholics re-sacrifice Christ in their Mass!"
I have answers to each of those claims, but I won't bore anyone unless I'm asked to. What I do want to talk about, however, is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. "Why do I have to talk to a priest to have my sins forgiven? I can just pray to God and it's automatic". Well, yes. Kind of.
As Catholics, we believe in the Mystical Body of Christ. We are all connected by said Mystical Body, and just as a human body feels pain if one of its parts is injured, the Mystical Body of Christ is affected each time one of its members (or body parts) sins. Sure, praying to God is automatic, but that only makes YOU feel better. Confessing your sins to another person who is part of the Mystical Body of Christ, or in very simple terms, apologizing to one of your fellow "body parts" for affecting them with your sin, is the way to heal the affliction of sin in the Body.
"But why priests?" you might ask. "Why can't I just talk to another 'body part', a friend or something like that?" Well, let's look at this Bible verse, first of all:
John 20:21-23
[Jesus] said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."
I came across this verse on my own one day, back in my days of awe and discovery when I used to just flip through the Bible and find random things. I had an idea of what it meant, but I decided to consult my boyfriend Adam (cradle Catholic!) about my thoughts. I asked him, "So does that verse mean that the apostles were the first priests?" He said yes, and freaked out because, if it had been that obvious to me (I was totally a newbie with this Bible stuff!), then why wasn't it this obvious to other people? In trying to re-find this Bible verse online, I came across a site that had a wonderful explanation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They noted, and I quote:
The first thing to note here is that Jesus breathes on His disciples. This is the second time in all of history that God breathes on man (the first time was when He gave man the breath of life, see Genesis 2:7). Surely, there is something extraordinary taking place here.
Something truly remarkable! Another really good quote from the same site (it's just all so true!!!):
The priest does not forgive sins in his own right or from his own power, as if he were God. It is, strictly speaking, never the priest who forgives confessed sins, but Christ our Lord using the priest to bestow forgiveness on His beloved children. Just as Jesus lets us have a share in creation (by giving us the power to procreate), so He also lets some of His people share in the bestowal of the forgiveness of sins. This power Jesus did not extend to everybody but exclusively to people ordained to the priesthood, as will be shown.
I really do hope that this clears up issues for people about Reconciliation. If there is something I didn't cover, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get to it ASAP!
Okay, okay, okay. I know my layout isn't showing up, and oddly enough, it's not my fault. I apologize to you all for this ugly white background/blue linked page!
Also, I haven't been able to post pictures in any of my entries, and I know that it makes my blog exceedingly boring, no matter how much I jump around and try to grab your attention electronically (or literarily, and no I don't mean literally).
I freakin love sunflower seeds. I really do! I munch on them as much as I possibly can. Luckily, the vending machine at work sells little bags of David's sunflower seeds, so here I am, cracking and crunching and munching and - *ptooey!* - spitting. Yay!
Also, I figured out yesterday that I like Pibb Xtra instead of regular ol' Dr. Pepper. Or maybe McDonald's just put too much ice in my DP and it tasted gross... But then again, why on earth was I at McDonald's anyway?? I should really learn my lesson, they spit in peoples' drinks. Or something. Yeah, something.
On a completely unrelated note, I've been working out! And by out, I mean it. ;) Just joking, but really, I've been walking at least half a mile in the mornings here on the treadmill at work. Then I'll walk another half mile after lunch, and another sometime in the afternoon, if I have time. I'll be in shape in no time. Yay again!
You know what's awesome? Discovering a new music artist. I love love love doing it, even though it usually happens by accident.
For example, Adam and I went to Beaumont almost a year ago (September 10th, to be exact) for a Christian music festival in honor of 9/11 (yes, it was a day of disaster, but it's also Adam's birthday). We were just expecting to see some local bands and, the main event, The O.C. Supertones (I won't link them because they shut down their myspace and their official website is next). We did see local bands, and we were of course super pumped to see The Supertones' last concert in Texas everrr, but Adam and I also fell in love with a band that we didn't know was already famous: The Swift. Seeing them live was IN-credible! They have a great amount of Beatles' influence in their music, and if you know me at all, you know I'm a HUGE fan of The Beatles!!
Basically, The Swift rocks. So do the other bands I linked. And you know who else rocks? Me. :) Hah, what a joke, I'm such a joker! I got nothin... I'm done.
Oh, in case you guys didn't notice, I changed my description up there *points to header*. I have a feeling I'll be doing this a lot, so do not be alarmed! :) The current description is from the song I posted by Fr. Stan Fortuna, "School of the Eucharist". It's SO true for me, especially after this past weekend! YAY STEUBENVILLE!!!! I'll post about that at another moment in time, but you will definitely hear of my experiences!
You guys... Father Stan Fortuna is RAWKIN'. Actually, he's not rockin', he's rappin'... But he's awesome. Check out these lyrics, "School of the Eucharist":
at this school when i sit
even just a little bit
i get hit with the power
that made the veil in the temple split
when i submit
fall on the floor and adore
can’t get enough
got to come back for sa-more
every prostitute and sinner
every fool and hypocrite
can benefit in this school
repent and commit
as the incense rises up
in adoration of the throne
somethin happens
to my wounded heart
from all the love revealed and shown
bright light Shekina
comes to my aid to assist
to change and sustain
the way i think and exist
to feel the bliss because my name
is in the book of life’s list
that’s what happens when you sit
in the school of the Eucharist
verse 1
be fertile and multiply
progenerate procreate
yet we frustrate the divine plan
it will only illustrate the disaster
of bein consumed
by consumer culture
recover sanctity
when spouses copulate
this is somethin that the culture can facilitate
instead they want to make big money so they desecrate
they press audiovisual triple x
vulgarity and violence
they dominate
that’s what they celebrate
thug wannabe’s or actuals
that’s what they emulate
and they mutilate each other
bad feelins like nas missin his mother
dre’s brother biggie and 2 pac
bonds stocks and glocks
need new buildin blocks
penitentiary and terror cells
the whole wide world
is under those locks
incarcerate and conversate
with a cultural inmate
the new prison no vision
don’t got the inner strength to tolerate
the pains we feelin
unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood you got no life within you
that means you dead
don’t matter the size of your venue
or how many records you sell
gehenna forces burnin
in this cultural hell
bond with your homies
with a mad rodman-iverson-type of tattoo
this battle still comin straight at you
don’t matter the size of your iq
ain’t no human mind that can
mastermind the breakthrough
give-me give-me takin greedy takin
not receivin – deadly fruit of not believin
it’s a hard teachin John 6:66
some were badly shaken
it’s time to stop fakin before we be rudely awakened
(refrain)
verse 2
deadly cultural wound
who can stop the bleedin
with every beat of its heart
the culture is fallin apart
cultural remedy must pass through Gethsemane
all intellectual tryin
without dyin to self
perpetuates the attitude
“i’ll do it myself”
militant fanatics
with bodacious martyrdom
suicide bombers
we can’t stop ‘em we part of ‘em
it’s all over broadcast on tv
cnn radio am and fm
what a way to start
the new millennium
homeland security?
not without a renewed sense of purity
we got a big multicultural
international problem
everybody claims
a piece of father Abraham
deadly disputes
over the Promised Land
o little town of Bethlehem
it’s perpetual - need more adoration 24/7
destination heaven
illumines September eleven
it’s the Lord blessin
yeah 50 you lyrically inclined
get with it bro
you do got to shine and you can
if God is really the seamstress
that tailor-fitted your pain
don’t be another statistic
you patiently waited for your fame
don’t forget you got scriptures
in your brain
then spit at the cultural nitwit
get with it and live it you ain’t bitter and you ain’t a quitter
here's a dollar’s worth of wisdom don’t be fooled by the glitter
even coach jackson can’t deal
with this kinda action
like he tried with l.a. ego bustin zen
made those prima donnas champions
even madonna with her yogi guru
remember the old school
eatin pork rinds and yoohoo?
every now and then
tryin to bust out of those chains
sometimes you think they gone
and even friends try to do you
there’s a cultural demonic possession
we ain’t learnin our lesson
when will it end?
wasn’t biggie 2 pac’s friend?
east coast west coast
this greed-infested rivalry
is a dead end
it’s time to stop fakin
before we all be rudely awakened
(refrain)
verse 3
nas God’s son cd
so hard to see confusion
even got a good song to the youth
no curses in the verses miracle
i knew he could do in a couple tracks later he’s back offendin
what’s up what that?
is he pretendin?
or does he really care
about the mixed message he sendin?
hookin up with white boy
producin you
seducin you to speculate about
what if the Virgin Mary
had an abortion
yo proceed with caution
you messin
with the Mother of the real God’s Son
keep walkin that road son
and your chances of salvation
could dwindle down to none
whose gonna take the lead
and deliver the fatal blow?
rumor has it eminem
gonna change the vibe of his flow
hope so - curtain comin down
on the marshall mathers show?
can’t market me i’m too positively
dramatic plus i’m Catholic
my rhymes are just right
for these times
they theological
relationship with daddy
for most is just biological
too many young men got to pretend
even with big success
too much stress
the conclusion is deadly and logical growin without knowin
the joy of a boy
the problem is deep
why can’t we see through this tragedy
this heartfelt sincerity
combined with blasphemy
is the deception of the cultural blows that’s blastin me
you might not agree
space shuttle columbia debris
sprayin all over the country
just like that
who could foresee
wake up call
same kind of destruction
goin on inside of you and me
terror already busted up the skyway
everybody like sinatra
singin “i’ll do it my way”
cultural subluxation no chiropractor can adjust this vertebrae
only divine mercy can heal
the culture anyway
come on - it’s time to stop fakin before we all be rudely awakened.
(refrain)
Oh for the love of cheese, people! How much more creative are we gonna get?? CuteOverload does it again with one of their latest posts on how to make a hamburger for a hammie (hamster, for the un-cute-ified). I think the best thing about their awesome blog lately is that they've been having a "Your Daily Bunny". Now, I'm not biased, because I love cute of all sorts, but come on! They're bunnies, for cryin out loud! You just can't get this kind of cute elsewhere!!! *head explodes*
...They warned me that would happen.
I, like KatieT., have laugh-out-loud moments all the freakin time. This afternoon, I found my buddy Alejandro's blog, and when I read his latest entry, I nearly spit my green tea all over my monitor. Laughing out loud is fun, and one of my favorite things to do (as I'm sure you've quickly learned if you know me i.r.l. [in real life]), so I'm gonna share! Propz to Alejandro, he rawks and I'm unabashedly stealing from him.
Without further ado...
Winners of the "worst analogies ever written in a high school essay" contest
He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it. (Joseph Romm, Washington)
She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again. (Rich Murphy, Fairfax Station)
The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't. (Russell Beland, Springfield)
McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup. (Paul Sabourin, Silver Spring)
From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30. (Roy Ashley, Washington)
Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze. (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center. (Russell Beland, Springfield)
Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake (Ken Krattenmaker, Landover Hills)
Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever. (Unknown)
He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree. (Jack Bross, Chevy Chase)
The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease. (Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring)
Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man." (Russell Beland, Springfield)
Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph. (Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can. (Wayne Goode, Madison, Ala.)
They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth (Paul Kocak, Syracuse, N.Y.)
John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met. (Russell Beland, Springfield)
The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play. (Barbara Fetherolf, Alexandria)
His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
I promise not all my posts will be categorized as "random", but ya gotta admit, Sloganizer.net can be pretty random when they wanna be!
I wanted a cool, fun description for my blog. Something that would make people laugh, or say stuff like, "That's so Melissa" (but I didn't want to rip off Raven-Symone's show)... So I sloganized "LissaStuff". Among the auto-generated slogans were "LissaStuff rules" and "No LissaStuff, no kiss". But the winner was ... *drum roll* ...
And on the eighth day, God created LissaStuff.
This is my first blog post... Yeah. I don't know what this will be about, which is why I called this blog LissaStuff. It's gonna be stuff, that's for sure!
Yeah. That's basically it for now.
