Review for Skillet's new album 'Awake' pending... I just today listened to the whole thing, but I won't be able to finish a review before I leave for speech and debate camp this next week. I'll work on it and hopefully have it finished by Saturday.

Finger 11's old name

I didn't know this until just a minute ago when I read it on the internet, but the band Finger 11's old name used to the Rainbow Butt Monkeys. That's one epic band name. They totally shouldn't have changed their name...

Finger 11? What kinda name is that? I wouldn't be surprised if they were all just playing charades one night and those were the three last words and one of the band members just noticed it...

Why isn't good music mainstream?

I know I already posted about Les Paul, but I've been up in bed with a cold and I was just thinking about this...

Why is it that when a pop star like Micheal Jackson dies, the world practically stops and for a while and the world revolves around him, yet, when a REAL legend dies like Les Paul, no one even notices (at least those who actually know who Les Paul is)?


It's amazing what crap most people listen to... If you think about it, the only really really good talented bands that are really popular are U2, Metallica, Nirvanna, and Pink Floyd. I could be missing a couple, but those are the few that came to mind for me. There are many other bands that are somewhat mainstream and good. That's my point. Why would people listen to horrible boy bands like Nickleback, Coldplay, or Boys Like Girls when you could listen to better music preformed by much better muscians by bands with way better names, like the Foo Fighters, Muse, Audioslave, Radiohead, ect.?

Is it the less catchy choruses? Or perhaps the level of popularity? Has social pressure defined what music you listen to? I really hope not....

Whatever it is, I just don't understand why people would torture themselves with the primarily terrilbe genre of pop/pop rock when there's real music.

Mexico Missions Trip

I promised a post about Mexico to those I emailed, so here it is.

This is from a journal I took Saturday, our first day, most of which we spent traveling. These are just some first impressions.

At about 5 P.M. local time we split up into three cars and drove to see the construction and medical/dental work sites. The construction site is the church/school in Santa Ana. Not only the church and school itself, but the entire community around it has immensely improved from the team's last visit. It's funny, there are some aspects of the school that are being renovated that are beautiful, such as the arched brick ceiling, while at the same time the floor and walls are an ugly unpainted concrete. Even in the community there's a strange contrast of poverty and one nice house. From the school to the medical clinic site there is a beautiful house painted golden/yellow with a gate, courtyard, and garage, and next to it is a concrete house with a tarp for a roof. The one thing that strikes me most is the attitude of the people. I've never seen such incredible poverty, while at the same time people so happy and content. They are so thankful for what they have, even though it's practically nothing.

*******************


Somethings that really helped me as well as a lot of the team members emotionally were the morning and evening team meetings, and the devotionals that we as a team had started.

My personal favorite devotional was one about having a "so what" attitude about the simple things in life that we take for granted. This was especially powerful while in Mexico and being able to see the people who practically have nothing compared to us.
It's really incredible to think of how blessed I am to not only live in a beautiful home with so much convenience, but also to be born into a God loving and teaching home. It's mind boggling when you comprehend that along with the poverty of the people that are not even that far apart distance wise. When I hear or think of this incredible poverty, I usually relate it to someplace far far away on the other side of the world, but the truth is, it's right here below us, only a hour in time difference, just a few hours plane ride.


If I were to explain everything I learned spiritually it'd take me at least a couple hours just to summarize it. So... I'll post more and explain more of what the trip was like when I get pictures.

~Chris

Les Paul

So.... Les Paul died today at the age of 94. Not incredibly shocking, but to tell you the truth I didn't even know the dude was still ticking. I read it today on the yahoo homepage, only a couple hours after it happened. For those of you who are unformilliar with who he is and what he did, he was (unfortunately) a guitar legend and inventor. Particularly the inventor of the solid-body electric, which began the classic Gibson Les Paul guitar series. So classic such that the, (imo) greatest rock legend to live, slash cherished the incredibly performing guitars over any other brand or series. He even used the guitars to record the extremely popular Guns N' Roses album, Appetite for Destruction. Without a doubt Les Paul made one of the most important contributions to the world of rock.

Now I only wish I had like 5 grand to spare so I could quick buy a couple les pauls and sell for a couple thousand more once they skyrocket in price next week! too bad I don't...