We've Moved

You will no longer find the Captain's musings on this blog. We've moved to: minor5studio.com. So go there, subscribe, and watch all of your wildest dreams come true.

Love,

the Captain

Frustrating, to Say the Least

Why are we so apt to sue for every little thing these days? I heard about the class action lawsuit against AT&T for their iPhone exclusivity contract. What??? That deal was made years ago. And they had every right to make it. Why are they just now complaining about it? And now there's a potential class action lawsuit against Apple because Consumer Reports decided to announce that the iPhone is not fit to buy. Nevermind that most, if not all, cell phones lose signal strength when you cover them up with your hand. Nevermind that it's only a handful of people who have actually experienced these problems. Nevermind that if you put a cover on it, the problem goes away. No, let's sue. Let's make a quick buck off of the evil big corporations who don't deserve all the money they make anyway.

And now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that most of the lawsuits against Toyota are based on false pretenses, as most of the drivers had their foot on the gas pedal when they claimed "uncontrollable acceleration." Sounds like a conspiracy if ever there was one.

I'm sick of this "I deserve something for nothing" attitude in America these days. It reeks of Socialism. And I for one won't stand for it.

Summer Wall Art

It's pretty far into summer, but I thought I'd share my summer art with you guys. Sorry it took me so long to post. I think this is my favorite so far... Mainly because I love the whimsy of the shrub and the fern combined with the experimentation with light and depth that I haven't explored thus far in this series. I started with the fall wall art. Seeing these makes me realize I'll have to redo those. I'll keep you posted. Happy viewing!

Rediscover Again

I love when I hear a song again for the first time in a while and because of life's circumstances, it takes on a whole new meaning. It makes me realize how absently I listen to music sometimes. I think because I'm a musician, I get wrapped up in the instrumentation first and often miss the meaning... But today I heard "Always" by Switchfoot... and it made me cry. I realized he was writing to his newborn baby and being pregnant, the lyrics hit home for me. So beautiful.

An Open Letter from Jon Voight to President Obama

Worth reposting. Amen, Mr. Voight.

An open letter from actor Jon Voight to President Obama:

June 22, 2010

President Obama:

You will be the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when you said that you would defend Israel, the only Democratic state in the Middle East, against all their enemies. You have done just the opposite. You have propagandized Israel, until they look like they are everyone's enemy — and it has resonated throughout the world. You are putting Israel in harm's way, and you have promoted anti-Semitism throughout the world.

You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today. The Jewish people have given the world our greatest scientists and philosophers, and the cures for many diseases, and now you play a very dangerous game so you can look like a true martyr to what you see and say are the underdogs. But the underdogs you defend are murderers and criminals who want Israel eradicated.

You have brought to Arizona a civil war, once again defending the criminals and illegals, creating a meltdown for good, loyal, law-abiding citizens. Your destruction of this country may never be remedied, and we may never recover. I pray to God you stop, and I hope the people in this great country realize your agenda is not for the betterment of mankind, but for the betterment of your politics.

With heartfelt and deep concern for America and Israel,

Jon Voight

Foot-In-Mouth Syndrome and Its Various Consequences

Anyone who knows me personally knows I'm not very good at hiding what
I really think. If I'm elated about something, I won't hide it from
anyone, even if I try. If I'm disappointed in you, I won't be able to
pretend otherwise and I'll wear that disappointment on my shirt sleeve
like a badge of courage. In my short tenure in the corporate world, it
has become evident to me the need to be able to "play the game:" to
learn how to shut your mouth when necessary, put on your game face,
grin and bear it.

Sufficient to say, I am a categorical failure at this necessity. In
fact, I might very well be the poster child for foot-in-mouth
syndrome. And as I sit here typing this blog on my handy little
iPhone, I find myself facing the very dilemma I've yet to overcome.
And I ask myself if it's a betrayal of integrity to pretend like I am
okay with the injustices I see around me. I know, for the sake of
perpetuity, I ought to learn this trait and learn it fast. But
inevitably, every time I've faced this challenge, I've resorted to the
notion of staying true to myself and speaking out for what I know is
right. The situation I face today is different. I've spoken. It hasn't
been heard. So now I'm faced with a choice: shut my mouth or continue
to speak to the brick wall.

And I write all this to ask, what would you do?

On the Today Show

Had to share this...

My favorite band of all-time in the best video they've ever released. And it may even be their best music so far.

Thinking 'Bout Somethin' - Hanson (2010)

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Spring Fever

It's time for the spring installment of the Captain's own personal
wall art. These are my favorites so far, mainly because of the albino
peacock (my friend pointed out to me that The Malfoy's - in Harry
Potter - have white peacocks in their front yard). Awesome.
Nonetheless, I drew these in Photoshop using a Wacom. Enjoy!!

By Popular Demand

I drew this in Photoshop for my husband this year for Christmas. In
case you notice a resemblance, yes it is a reproduction of the concept
art for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I loved the color
treatment of Hogwarts in the picture so I decided to redraw it in
large format (30x40). Just sharing it with those of you who said you
wanted to see it.

Vintage Modern

These are 4 prints I recently designed for a local marketing
department. The room was redesigned with red, amber, and cream. I
wanted to pull out those colors and accent them with the turquoise
family. Going for a global, vintage-modern theme, this is what I came
up with for a gallery wall. Wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

Wall Art For the Seasons

Thought I'd share a pic of some winter wall art I designed for my
house. I've got this crazy idea to design new art for each new season.
We shall see how long I can keep this up before my husband decides I'm
crazy...

Random, but wondering....

Does anyone else ever feel somewhat inadequate when trying to decipher tweet-speak? I mean, I read these things and I'm like, "What the HECK does that even say?" Example: "RT @randomperson I know RT @randomperson we always do RT @randomperson RT @randomperson @randomperson (via @randomperson)"

.....................whaaaaatttt? And then there's always that encryped URL at the end that just looks like a virus. "http://28f839hv83rhjsdf4h3clickonthisandyouwillgetavirus.com"

Is it just me?

Do they like having you around?

Do you know what the number one criticism of Jesus was? Jesus was criticized for being a friend of sinners. Sinners loved being around Jesus. Do unbelievers today love to be around believers? Or do they feel like we think we're better than they are? – Robert Morris

A friend of mine posted this quote on fb today. I really like it and it got me thinking... I think we can even take this one step further. You see, Jesus didn't just befriend sinners and make them come to him for friendship. He didn't throw parties and send out an evite for the "Sinners Mixer at my Pad." He went to them. He hung out with them on their turf. He was cool enough that he could be the stinkin' Son of GOD and hang out at a dude's house who has a bunch of prostitutes and drunks around – and none of them were uncomfortable. In fact, they liked having him around.

What does that say about believers today? I grew up in the church so I think it's safe to say that I have an "insider's" perspective. I've seen firsthand how believers get in a safe little box of preconceived notions and refuse to see outside of it. And I got a double-whammy because I also grew up in a private Christian school. I remember being taught not to socialize with sinners – that they were a bad influence. I was told that I needed to witness to them so they could see the err of their ways. But I was never told where. For the longest time I just assumed I would witness at church. You know, the sinner-haven.

Don't get me wrong – I know the church has more people who need to be witnessed to than not, but my point is that if that's the only place I'm going to reach out to people who need Jesus, I'm pretty narrow-minded and self-centered.

This paradox reached its pinnacle when I was twenty-two and I boastfully pointed out to a friend of mine that I had never been drunk. He asked if I had ever had a drink before and I said no. He pointed out that he was much more influenced by someone who can drink and control themselves than by someone who claims they have amazing self-control because they've never gotten drunk even though they've never had a drink.

This hit me like a ton of bricks.

I realized I was claiming I had accomplished something that I had never even been challenged by. It would be like saying that I had never broken my neck from bungee jumping when I had never bungee jumped in the first place. Stupid.

I know some of you are reading this saying, "Well, it's better to protect your purity than to put it to the test just to say you can control yourself." And you would be right – to a point. But if you're using what you have or haven't done as a badge of honor, you've missed the point of what being an influence is all about. And if you're expecting the world to come to you and marvel at your brilliance just because you claim to have hope from your faith, you're only going to be disappointed. I honestly believe the best influence we can have is when we get out there and hang out with real people in real places and real situations. Nothing forced or contrived. No pretenses. No, "Please meet me at Starbucks today. I need to talk to you about your lack of faith" meetings. Just real, honest relationships with real people talking about real things.

Which brings me to my point. Why were Matthew and his prostitute friends cool around Jesus? Why did they invite him to their parties and talk to him about their lives so openly and comfortably? Shouldn't they have been nervous and embarrassed around him? He was perfect. They may not have known that at the time, but they knew there was something different about him. But they still hung out. Why? After all these years of being around the Christian culture and watching them get it wrong, I'm convinced it's because Jesus was just a real guy. No pretenses. No expectations. No facades. He was who he was and he made no bones about it. And he found a way to challenge everyone he was around to be a better person without judging them for it.

What a guy. What an influence. I think about it all the time as I interact with the world – at a show, with my family, with friends, with casual acquaintances. I find myself asking if what I'm doing is making them run away from the faith in me or towards it. Because I'm not here to make anyone do anything. I'm just hoping that my actions might influence someone along the way to investigate why I have the hope I have. And maybe, just maybe, they'll find they can have it too. That's all...