Lárguense, bebés

Recientemente, escuché o hablé en algunas conversaciones en las quales se discutieron los infantes. Algunos estudiantes en uno de mis clases TA no estaban allí por causa de dar a la luz a un hijo. Un amigo de Whitney de su universidad se casó y su esposa acaba de infestar este mundo con otra alma.

Creo que a esa étapa de mi vida, (y también para la mayoría de los demás) es muy importante tener las precauciones necesarias para evitar un hijo natural. Si se participa en actividades sexuales, es importante hacerlo responsablemente. Ya sabes que no hablo de mi vida personal, pero voy a decir que estoy soltero y no tengo planes de nada de eso...sólo estoy platicando. Mi filosofía es que se tenga que usar por lo menos 2 precauciones. Normalmente, consisten en las pastillas y los condones.

Un amigo mío me dijo que había algunos temores en el pasado cuando su esposa creyó que estaba embarazada. No pasó nada, pero sí pudiera pasar. Él admite que no está listo para ser padre, pero tendría que hacerlo.

Los niñitos ocupan mucho de su tiempo, su dinero y su ser. Crear uno debe ser una decisión sobrepensado, discutido y preparado. Si no, ¡que sorpresa!

Por favor, cuídensenos. Últimamente, la iresponsibilidad puede ser causa de las responsibilidades.

Jesus Freaks

I just got done reading Jesus Freaks by the band dc Talk and the "Voice of the Martyrs" organization. It's basically a compilation of short stories about Christian martyrs throughout history, starting with Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The most recent account is in the early 2-THOUs. The stories aren't told chronologically.

I am amazed at what some people endured just to say that they believed in Jesus as their savior. Many were jailed and tortured, and just about all the stories in the book end in death. Often, the actions of the martyrs are said to have influenced people who saw them die or were imprisoned with them. I guess it would be powerful to see someone who is not afraid of dying because they know that the Lord is with them. That's hard for me to imagine.

Another recurring theme was "praying for your enemy." So many of these people would pray for their torturers, hoping that they would encounter God's love. This would be going on WHILE they were being tortured. They weren't scared to die, and they (by and large) would not renounce their faith. I can see how such courage is possible in the case of the apostles who walked with Jesus during his time on earth, but I guess it takes more faith for someone who has never had physical contact with Him to make such a grave commitment.

After reading this book, I almost feel inadequate. Not that I aspire to martyr myself, but what have I ever done in the name of God? I don't go around trying to evangelize people; I especially think that it would be super hard to endure torture when all I had to do to get out of it is to deny my Savior. But then I would feel really bad about it later. Maybe once put in that position, I would receive divine fortification of my mind, body, and soul. I've never seen angels or heard the voice of the Almighty or anything extraordinary to prepare me to handle a situation like the ones that most of the martyrs in this book faced. Maybe that just says that my faith is weak. Or maybe it's like when I look at someone else playing with their open wound...I think that it's gross, perhaps even nauseating...but if it was my wound, then I would be playing with it just like they are...

Lounge

I just got back from Jazz Night at The Warehouse. I had heard about this event from a few different people. Sarah had mentioned that it's the cool place to be, and JJ said that he sometimes plays there. Turns out that tonight was Sarah's first night also.

I like the Warehouse. It seems real. Kinda like the Leon Pub. No pretenses. There are vines growing on the outside of the corrugated steel and it has old wood floors with paint peeling up. In fact, I think I saw a hole in the floor under one of the pool tables.

So, to get in to Jazz Night, you have to go to the "Back Room" and pay $2 admission. Back there, it's totally chill. I think that I would best describe the atmosphere as "lounge." When we first got there, there weren't many people around, but as the night progressed, the room kept getting more packed. Dustin came with 3 of his friends that I've never met before, and I saw Sarah get up to greet Claire's friend Erin and some other chick...I didn't say hi to them. Some guy with a green laser kept pointing it at people's feet.

Just like every other joint in Tallahassee, it shuts down at 2am. How weak. I think it's a law or something. I would like to go again. They're done for the year now, but they open back up on the first day of school. I know that I have an 8am class next semester, so if it's not on Tuesday, then I'll try to bring some econ people with me.

Pick #3

Summer Obsession - Melt the Sugar

This song is off their Pro Mo Fo Sho album which someone handed to me at the Warped Tour this past summer.

Christ by the Sea

This picture was taken on the way out of Salango, Ecuador. It's on the Pacific coast somewhere between Salango and the Santa Elena peninsula. I've never before been in a place that had cliffs meeting the ocean.

Downloaded Music

It seems like intellectual property rights aren't as hot of a topic now as they were a few years ago with the whole Napster mess. That's not to say that it's completely died out. In fact, many individuals still care about it...some care enough to express their opinion.

My neighbor Amanda was over here looking at my music on my computer and I was telling her how it was organized: this folder has albums that I actually own and this other one has ones that I don't. She said something about it "not being right" to have music that you didn't buy.

One quick thing: if you've never seen my physical CD collection, it's pretty decent. A few hundred discs. I'm not talking about burned discs either. I mean original presses that I bought or received as presents. I really don't think that I'm free-riding on the music industry.

Here's my take: a radio station pissed me off my freshman year of college and I pretty much quit listening to radio in general (except the Love Doctors, etc. when @ work). My computer was hooked up to the network at school, and lots of people gave me music. That was very good because I didn't really have another source for new (new to me) music. As it turns out, most of my early downloading was from sites like www.mp3.com where the artists put their songs for you to download because they want people to listen.

I have gone to concerts of bands that I first heard (or first heard a song I liked) by downloading their music. Probably the greatest example of this for me is Something Corporate. I bought a couple of their albums, went to a couple concerts (even more if you count seeing them at Warped Tour), and even got some merch. Stereophonics: ripped a couple CDs from Walker, but bought an album in London's Heathrow Airport while waiting for my connection to Madrid.

My most common means of keeping myself in check when it comes to music is by buying an album by an artist that I discovered by downloading. For instance, I have 2 new albums on my Christmas wish list by bands that I don't have a physical CD yet: The Decemberists and Copeland. Off the top of my head, I have bought albums from: Hawthorne Heights, AFI, Alkaline Trio, Before Braille, Copperpot, Coheed and Cambria, Dashboard Confessional, Hey Mercedes, Hot Rod Circuit, Moneen, Nada Surf, The New Amsterdams, Saves the Day, Sloppy Meateaters, & Story of the Year (and a related "A Day in the Life" as a present). There are a couple albums that I had downloaded that I decided to buy that same album because I liked it so much. Those bands are: Pedro the Lion, Before Braille (in addition to the one that I didn't own before).

Overall, I think that the music industry has got more money out of my pocked due to my downloaded music. It is not fair for people to just download and download and never buy anything...but not necessarily CDs. The band doesn't get that much money from CDs. Might as well download music and send them a check for a dollar. However, I think that if you just download music but go to concerts from those bands or buy their merch, then you are alright. This is also a case where extremity might play a role in determining if it's OK or not. Everything in moderation, right?

Fully Recovered

Good for me! I think that I confirmed tonight that I am completely over Sarah. Yup. I guess it took a while, but I'm there now and that's what matters. We went out to Decent Pizza (which is delicious!, actually it's the best pizza I have had in a really long time) for dinner, then to Pockets to hang with some econ. people to celebrate the end of the semester. Sarah still kicks ass at everything she does, like mini-bowling and (almost at) darts. However, I have a different kind of admiration for her ass. -Kicking abilities.

She is still an excellent friend and there's some sort of a feeling that goes along with that relationship; but the feeling anchored way deep down in the innermost region of my heart has faded to the point where I can't feel it anymore. Not that I'm trying to.