The Captain's Musings

We've Moved

2010-07-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-12T10:53:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

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

2010-04-28T13:17:00.001-05:00

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

2010-04-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

Had to share this...

2010-04-15T16:37:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

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

2010-02-25T11:34:00.000-06:00

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

2010-02-23T21:47:00.000-06:00

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....

2010-01-14T12:52:00.003-06:00

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?

2010-01-04T16:35:00.005-06:00

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...

Overcoming the Obstacle of Self

2009-11-03T18:19:00.002-06:00

I made up a word the other day. I call it "de-nichefy." Classy, I know. What it means is to stop over-categorizing something down to a tiny description that limits the possibilities of said "thing." In other words, stop limiting. As an entrepreneur and a creative type all rolled into one confused package, I often find myself facing the challenges of owning a business with thoughts like, "I'm not made like that;" or "I'm not good at doing things like that." By saying these things, I'm categorizing myself down to a tiny niche that limits me from possibilities I could otherwise achieve if I would just apply myself.

I'm a firm believer in the capitalistic ideal that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. We are limitless human beings - that's how God made us. The only thing that stops us is ourselves. And often it comes in the form of not believing in what we are capable of - nichefying ourselves.

So my encouraging word for the day is to de-nichefy yourself. Believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. You may not like it. You may not be prone to achieve it perfectly the first time. Who cares? Try it anyway. When you fail, try it again in a new way. If you want something, why let perceived inability stop you? I don't believe in inability. I only believe in "in-application." You only fail at things you refuse to try.

Go. Be free. De-nichefy and see what happens. Overcome the obstacle of self...

The Artist and the Suit

2009-10-05T09:54:00.005-05:00

So I was reading an article on Yahoo! today about the punk movement and how it has become so corporatized that it's no longer punk. It's quite true and I've been saying that for a long time now. But it's kind of the same thing with rock music, country music, Gospel music, and on and on. Really pop is the only one staying true to its roots: make music to make money... PS: you can read the article here.

I think about this a lot. Whenever something underground gains any momentum, someone in a suit sees it as an opportunity to capitalize. Take vampires for example. There was a time when the vampire craze was limited to a selective pool of undergrounders (I just made up a word) who dedicated their souls to Anne Rice and attended vampire parties in the basements of L.A. Now, thanks to the sissy vampires of Stephenie Meyer and the wonder of capitalism, you can't shake a stick without hitting some sort of vampire paraphernalia: a TV show, a movie, a t-shirt, a lunch box...

Having worked in the corporate world, I know a thing or two about how these people think. It's called the bottom line. And as long as the pockets of the big wigs are lined, they don't care what they're pushing next. The art of the original concept disappears, replaced with generic, run-of-the-mill cut-outs. To quote Christian Bale in Little Women: "Mediocre copies of another man's genius."

And it begs a question. Where does this leave us, the artists, who just want to get our art out to the world? Where do we strike the happy medium? It's the age old battle between the "man" and the rest of us. As an independent artist, I find myself in a conundrum of being both the punk and the suit. The artist and the man. The dollars and the sense. It's a fine line to walk... If I do what my husband always tells me and "stick it to the man," I'll be sticking it to myself...

But personally, I enjoy the challenge. I like having to figure out how to maneuver both sides of the battle. And I like the idea of paving a path that's rarely been walked, for the very reason that it's both difficult and at times, a conflict of interests.

Thus is the challenge of living in America, land of the free and home of the capitalist. And seeing as how I am a full believer in capitalism, I suppose my greatest challenge and my greatest achievement will be to reconcile the capitalism I love with the artist I will always be...

Metaphor: A Follow-Up

2009-09-14T12:03:00.001-05:00

We talk a lot about faith. We throw around the phrase, "just have faith that it will all work out" (or some variation) haphazardly and frequently. We tell ourselves consistently that there's a bigger plan and we've just got to trust it.

And all of that is well and good. All of that is true. But what it doesn't answer is the "how." What does that look like? How does faith look when it is being carried out? Is it waiting? Watching? Hoping? I think it can be, but I don't think that's all it is. I believe faith is most evident in movement. I believe our task is to carry out our faith by doing. Moving forward. Trying. Planning. Executing. Making mistakes and learning from them.

If we sat around waiting all day for an absolution, we would never find it. I believe this is because we learn from our actions, good or bad. If God truly is omniscient, He's never surprised by our decisions. He already knew what we would do and when. If you take that a step further, I believe it is safe to say that we can't disappoint God. He is well aware of every decision that ever has or will be made. How could we catch him off guard?

I think it's easier for our finite minds to explain the nature of God by saying, "Oh, I messed up today. God's gonna be really mad," than it is to try to understand what His nature really is. I'm not implying that there is no sin or that everything we do is right. I'm simply saying that if God is the all-knowing god we say He is, then He can't be taken by surprise when we make decisions, good or bad.

And if He can't be taken by surprise, then He can't be disappointed. And if He can't be disappointed then we can trust, 100%, that we can move forward under His protection and provision. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Don't be afraid to step out on a limb. Living in fear of messing up is the opposite of faith. And if you live in that fear, you're saying that God did not know you were going to make this mistake, He can't fix it, and maybe He doesn't want to.

That's no way to live. And there's not an ounce of faith in that.

Go ahead. Move forward. Try things. Ask questions and don't be afraid to fall flat on your face. God knew you would. And He's ready to help you up when you ask.

Metaphor

2009-08-31T16:34:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm walking a high wire. Perched between what could be and what already is, I walk precariously the fine line in hopes I that I don't misstep and fall flat on my face. I get going pretty good sometimes and think I've got it under control. But I always forget to factor in the wind...

The wind can be the whim of a friend, the economy, the attitude I have on a given day. And when it comes, it always shakes me to the core.

So I do some soul searching and realize that I shouldn't be bothered by the wind, let alone the precarious high wire, if I'm truly walking in faith.

And then when I realize I'm not truly walking in faith, I have to stop and ask why. And that's where I am today.

Some days I wake up knowing exactly who I am and what I want. Some days I wake up and the wind hits me. When it does, I get scared and wonder if I'm on the right path. Could I be doing something differently? What mistakes am I making? Why aren't things going the way I'd planned for them to go?

Then, subtely and surely, I am reminded that it was never mine to figure out. It was never my fate to decide. I gave it up a long time ago.

And it's this place exactly - the one place I always think that I never want to be - that is the one place God wants me to be: in complete, total, dependant and blind faith. Admittedly, it's scary. No one likes giving up control. I especially, being the "get it done" kind of gal I am, have a hard time relinquishing the death grip I have on control. But I know, only due to deep personal experience, that it's much better to just let go. As cliche as this is, God really does know what he's doing... I just keep thinking he's going to fill me in on his grand scheme for the universe.

Guess I'll have to get over that one...

What goes up, we tear down

2009-07-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about Michael Jackson lately. Some say it's because I'm a victim of the media frenzy going on right now, but honestly I don't watch TV very much. So aside from watching the recap of his funeral last night when I got home, I've experienced very little media on the subject. But the idea of his story is a constant stream of consciousness manifesting itself in various forms from my mind.

Today it's a blog.

I cannot help but think about the life and legacy of Michael Jackson with a twinge of sorrow. He started off as the wonder-boy front man for a little group called the Jackson 5 in the 60s and rose to wear the crown as King of Pop. But it's the story in between that fascinates and, sadly, disturbs me. No, not because he was the "Wacko Jacko" the media so kindly named him, but because of the sad truth that for all intents and purposes, I believe Michael was a victim. First a victim of what was probably and abusive home, next a victim of what was undoubtedly an abusive experience we call "celebrity."

I've noticed that as a whole, our society tends to root for the underdog, building them up with the hopes that they will take off to superstardom. We love shows like American Idol because we think it's a home-grown kid on the big stage taking their once-in-a-lifetime shot at fame. But somewhere between the climb to the top and the pinnacle of their career, our group-think shifts and we decide our underdog is no longer worthy of our adoration, affection, or well-wishes. We thus begin our slippery slope to tear them down back to what we've decided is "normal."

I've seen it over and over again. In recent years it's been with the likes of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton. But in the past it's been people like Elvis, the Beatles (more markedly John Lennon), and sadly, Michael Jackson.

Admittedly, he was an odd duck... Addicted to plastic surgery, dangling his son over a balcony, naming his ranch after a make-believe land from Peter Pan. But who wouldn't be odd when they started pursuing a career at the age of 5? Who wouldn't be odd if he didn't get the opportunity to play with other children because he was required to practice for hours each day? Who wouldn't be odd if at the age of 11 he had a record deal and was forced into his professional career before even hitting puberty? These are things that most of us will never and can never understand. The spotlight is an endearing lure, but a bittersweet relationship. On one hand you have fame and fortune, on the other the relentless expectation to look perfect, act perfect, say all the right things, and live up to everyone's impossible expectations.

And if you want to get started on the argument that Michael was a child molester, I will say this and only this: he was acquitted. There was a reason he was acquitted and it was because the evidence did not exist. In fact, all of the evidence pointed to the contrary.

And yet so many of us fell into the trap of group-think. We decided collectively that Michael was indeed "Wacko Jacko." We never stopped to think that he was, perhaps, a human with real emotions, desires, dreams, thoughts, feelings. No, in our world, celebrity is not human, it is our toy with which we play until we are tired and move on to the next new thing.

But over the past couple of weeks, in light of the news that our King of Pop is now gone, I have started to ponder this anomaly we call "celebrity." Why do we build up to tear down? And why is it that now that he's gone, we're all suddenly big fans again? Frankly I'm disgusted with myself for ever having concluded that he was not worth my respect. Granted. He was not perfect - that is not what I'm saying. But there is no denying that he was a genius of his trade, a lover of humanity and believer in the simple idea that the world could really be a better place. What's not to respect about that?

Perhaps, aside from his music, his trends, his dancing, his humanitarian efforts, Michael had one final legacy to leave with us: to remember that the oddities of "celebrity" are moreso of our own making than of theirs. And that if we, collectively, can set aside our preconceived notions if only for a moment, we might just see that we are all human, we are all the world under the same sun, and at the end of the day it is what we do, not who we say we are, that leaves the greatest impact on the world.

An Open Letter

2009-06-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

This is an open letter from Janet Contreras. I take no credit, but I agree whole-heartedly and believe this is a must-read, especially for my generation.

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR NATION'S LEADERSHIP:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Removes all my doubts...

2009-06-17T17:27:00.001-05:00

My friends, if ever I find myself doubting the existence of God, I
need only to visit the mountains and my faith is renewed. And the
mountain in this particular picture is of special significance since I
have been visiting it since I was born.

And I am excited to say that this weekend I will stand at the foot of
this mountain, awe in my heart at it's majesty, and revel in the
wonder of my Creator.

I promise to share more pics as I take them so that you too may
indulge I the splendor.

Until Colorado,
The Captain

Can a Christian Believe in Evolution?

2009-05-28T10:26:00.002-05:00

I was reared to learn all the answers, stand on them and never waiver. I was reared that "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." And I believe that. With all my heart I believe that. But the caveat is that I don't believe I get the answers right 100% of the time. I believe that I can learn new things and apply them to my foundation without it negating any principle I stand on. I believe that as technology changes, science progresses, and the world moves on, new theories, discoveries, even belief systems can and will influence who we are and how we think. And that's okay as long as we know where we stand.

I liken this to Galileo. As a physicist in Italy during the 1500s, Galileo was a man of reason and practicality before mysticism and ideology. When he concluded that the sun was indeed the center of our galaxy (as opposed to the earth), he was tried and found to be a heretic by the Catholic church and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. You see, in the church's eyes during that time, if man was made in the image of God and God placed man on earth, then the earth, by logical deduction, had to be the center of the universe. But scientific study proved otherwise. So which is right? The church for believing something based on their interpretation of the Bible, or science for deducting something based on mathematics, physics, and the laws of the universe?

Even though this was 500 years ago, we face the same types of dilemmas in faith today. Being reared a Christian all my life, I was taught that evolution is a lie. We did not evolve. We could not possibly have evolved. It doesn't talk about it in the Bible, so it couldn't have happened.

But what if it did? Can't things change? Don't they evolve over time? I mean, I just look at pictures of my family from the 1800s and it's clear we're different. The people then were smaller. Not a lot. Just subtly smaller. Isn't that evolution? I don't currently think that we evolved from monkeys or that any species, for that matter, evolved from one into the other. But why do we have species specific to their regions of the globe? If God invented an evolution-free environment, why do some species live in Africa that don't live here? And why are they specially adapted to their environments (so much so that they would die anywhere else)? I was watching Planet Earth on Animal Planet the other day and I found out that there is a species of salamander that only exists in ONE cave in Mexico and NOWHERE ELSE in the world. That's crazy!! Why? Why would that happen?

And is it going against all my Biblical foundational principles to consider the fact that evolution could, in fact, explain our world? Is it out of the realm of possibility, for example, that God designed the universe with a big bang? I believe that as knowledge increases and man builds upon what we know, we will deduce more and more fundamental truths about the universe with which we operate. And as we do so, I believe that it will (and does) all point to an intelligent designer. But why is it wrong to believe that the intelligent designer designed the world with evolution? Why is it wrong to believe that the intelligent designer used any of the scientific theories to make our universe work? I mean, if He is the intelligent designer, then didn't he design those functions as well? Gravity? Inertia? Relativity? Evolution? And even if we do conclude that we all evolved from primordial soup, it still doesn't explain where that soup came from. It didn't appear out of nowhere, even by scientific standards. So who put it there? Why couldn't God have made the earth in 7 days from primordial soup?

If we pigeon-hole our beliefs into what we currently understand about the world (both physical and spiritual) and never allow ourselves to think outside of that box, won't we be missing out on just how glorious this intelligent designer is, after all? Think about Galileo. The guy just wanted to use the laws of science to explain his world. And when he did, he found out that some of those laws contradicted popular religious conclusions. So is he wrong or are the conclusions wrong? Ask yourself this: is your faith any less because you know that the sun is the center of the galaxy and the galaxy is only a pin drop in the greater universe? Or does it increase your faith all the more to know that the universe is so big we can't comprehend it with our limited human minds? And that science, as it stands now, is not sufficient to explain everything that makes it work out there?

Does the earth have to be the center of the universe for you to believe the Bible? And if not, then does the world have to work without evolution in order for you to believe the Bible?

iPhones, Video Games, and Taking Risks

2009-05-21T16:07:00.002-05:00

I readily admit that I'm a late bloomer when it comes to the world of gaming. I never really got into it as a child. My mom wouldn't let us have one (except for playing Frogger and Pac Man on my sister's old Atari) so I never really got into it. I had friends throughout college and even after that were all into games like Halo and whatever else (I have no idea), but I was just never drawn to it.

But recently I got an iPhone, and being the technology geek that I am, I just love exploring the app store. I've noticed that the top categories are always games and it seems from reading many articles that games are definitely the most downloaded apps on the phone... interesting. We're not a very productive society. And alas, I have fallen as prey to Apple's plot to keep us from getting anything accomplished.

Yes, I bought a game.

Not just any game... Bounce On. It reminds me of Mario (although I only have a few memories of Mario as it were, because I only played it a few times at friends' houses growing up). Nonetheless, it's pretty much the jam and I find myself playing it all the time.

But I was philosophizing the other day (as I often do), and I realized something: playing video games has helped me to take more risks... Yes. This is weird. I admit. But it's true. I find myself thinking about things the way I would think while playing Bounce On. "Don't wait for the opportune moment. There's not one. Just go for it!"

Wow! So aside from carpal tunnel, obesity, and social awkwardness, video games can have a benefit! I never knew!

And it's a pretty interesting phenomenon, if you ask me. I was taught all my life that video games are for lazy, non-creative types, not me. (Was this my mom's excuse for not buying them? The world may never know...) Nonetheless, I had always associated games as such (unfortunately, this statistic can often be true, although, admittedly, it is not universal).

So what can we learn from this? Are games for the slovenly? Do they contribute to thoughtless, mindless youth? Or can they have the opposite effect? Is there a way we can teach children to productively channel the lessons they learn from the games into their everyday lives (although perhaps not their driving habits)?

An interesting subject to ponder as I grab my phone for another round...

Right now I am hungry

2009-05-12T11:56:00.002-05:00

Right now I am hungry. I'm talking stomach growling, aching pains hungry. This calls for lunch. Too bad I don't like eating lunch at noon. It's this weird quirk I have... I'd rather eat at 1. So now I face a dilemma... eat at noon and break the code or starve until 1....

Honestly, I need to wake up. I'm tired. But tomorrow night (Wed. the 13th) we are at the Majestic in Dallas for the PABI benefit. I'm pretty stoked about this one. It's going to be the jam. But the awesome part is, I'm going to shop for Marky during lunch today. I'm buying him a scarf...

Okay, I'll make you a deal. If you come to the show tomorrow night, find me, and point out the scarf Marky is wearing and say something about how I bought it for him, I'll give you any one item from our merch for free. That's right. Anything you want for free.

In the meantime, I'm going to eat... See you tomorrow night!

The (hungry) Captain

Not all of us, Mr. President

2009-05-05T13:51:00.002-05:00

I saw this magazine and I got to thinking....

Are we really? Because last time I checked, only 52% of us voted as such. The rest of us still use cognitive thinking.

And I have a distinct feeling that that 52% figure is dwindling as these socialist ideals are being forced down our throats.

I am scared for our future if America sees the cover of this magazine and thinks it's a positive direction. I am scared for my children if America thinks socialism is the answer. My husband says it's all Biblical and that there's nothing we can do to avoid it. I agree that it's Biblical and there's probably not much we can do to avoid it, but that doesn't mean I won't go down without kicking and screaming.

Wake up, people. You are being lied to. And if you don't realize it now, you will very soon. Believe me.

This is my personal favorite video of all time... Seriously

2009-04-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Abraham

2009-04-21T11:43:00.002-05:00

Life has moments. Moments of fear. Moments of sadness. Moments of complete joy. Moments of not knowing what the heck to expect next... I'm in one of those moments right now. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. But what I've realized is that God never opens the door you expect or makes things turn out exactly as you hoped. And I believe that's because real faith is not believing so that whatever you want will happen. Real faith is believing that what's happening is what's best for you. If faith was easy, it wouldn't be called faith. It would be called rationality.

Remember Abraham? God told him He had awesome things for him. He didn't tell him what. He didn't tell him why. He just said, "go."

Go? Honestly. That's all he gets? But here's the crazy part. Abraham went. He just packed up and went. Had no idea where he was going or what for. But he found out along the way all he needed to know to get there.

And what did he find? Oh, only that he was the father of the Nation of Israel. Oh yeah, and that his children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. May not seem like a big deal to you here in 2009, but when you think about it in the context of human history, Abraham fathered the nation that brought us Jesus Christ - the promised nation of people who would provide the stage for the major affairs of the world from that point forward. Think about it.

So now, I stand at a crossroads in my life. I have no idea why or that I would get here right now. I have this choice I can make - to keep going the way I've been or to take a leap of faith and do something that goes against everything society tells you. But see, that's not how I want to live my life of faith - in my comfort zone.

So, God, I'll go. I don't have to know where right now. I don't even have to know why. But I know when - it's now.

The adventure begins...

~Captain

Oh man, I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-20T12:14:00.001-05:00

Working for Dunder Mifflin

2009-04-15T15:05:00.003-05:00

I have a 9 to 5. I don't readily admit it. Musicians tend to like to leave the "I'm too cool for a real job" impression, but the bottom line is, I got bills, hon. And as such, I have a 9 to 5.

I recently got into The Office. I know, I know, welcome to the bandwagon... I'm a little slow, I admit. But since my dial rarely ever veers off to network television, I've only heard the stories of how great the show is until recently. My husband and I own the British DVDs of the original, which, by the way, is a MUST HAVE. So I hesitated to believe in the American version (seeing as how those Brits are always funnier), but I admit I was pleasantly surprised.

But I had no idea that The Office would provide me so much comfort. In the midst of the daily grind, I've often felt like I work for the only company in the world with crazies. Dwights, Angelas, Michaels... But now I see that many people deal with the same ridiculous things I see on a daily basis. It has renewed my fervor and determination to power through and overcome. I feel like maybe I'm Pam... seeing through the stupidity and reading everyone like a book. And maybe, inspired by her good humor, I can learn to just take it all in stride and let it roll off my back. It is, after all, just a job. It does not define me...

So thanks, Pam. And thanks, Dwight, Angela, Michael, Jim, and on and on. You've taught me that life is too short to take so seriously. And you've taught me that we all, in some way, work for Dunder Mifflin.

Lately @ The Cavern

2009-04-13T17:06:00.001-05:00

Thought you might enjoy this. We (Lately) did.

A new blog, a new day

2009-04-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

It's a new day. It's a new blog. Sans MySpace. Okay, so I admit it: MySpace is dying. I recently made the transition over to Facebook (against my said better judgment) only to find that Facebook is, in fact, the superior social networking tool. Better layout. No obnoxious html customization. Easy to find things. Easy to navigate. Easy to keep the creeps out.

MySpace, I bid thee my tribute. You were faithful for all those years. I used you to shamelessly promote my band, back when we called ourselves "Morgan Guin Band." You helped us get fans. You made us famous in our own right. But I must admit, it took you too long to get on the trend bandwagon. I suspect it has something to do with corporatizing. Whatever the case, you have yet to release profile 2.0 for bands and because of that, I write you off.

On to Facebook and solo blogging I go. No more referring to my MySpace blog. This is my new blog. This is my new day.

If you're reading this and you're still on our MySpace, don't worry. I'm not getting rid of it. I just don't find a whole lot of use out of it anymore so I won't be posting much there anymore. Sorry if I offend.

On to bigger and better things.

Farewell,
Captain

PS - I'm just now discovering Pandora radio. My Beatles channel has changed my life. I can sleep at night now...

PPS - We need your VOTE!!! Lately is trying to go to Chicago but we need YOU to get us there. If it suits you, please take a mere 3 minutes out of your day to vote here. It would do our hearts good to know you care...