Regarding my last post...

I keep forgetting that my readers (if I have any) don't know every thought that enters my brain... so basically I thought I should explain my last post... seeing as it rather vague...

Sorry if the following paragraphs seem silly.... I'll try to make some sense.

I feel that my expectations for musicians (or anyone with a "say") are far too high these days. These expectations do not apply to everyone, but only for those who insinuate that they have the same belief system as I do. However, I find it horrible that I even have to use the word "insinuate." This insinuation in itself is a mild betrayal of the expectations I am talking about. These expectations are honesty and integrity. Can you really insinuate that you are honest or have integrity? No not really. It seems like you would be trying to hide them. I guess this "insinuation" is really more of a safety net. If actions or words testify to the opposite of honesty or integrity, the audience just shrugs and assumes they misunderstood.

Today I bought the "The Age of Adz" - the new Sufjan Stevens album. All was well until the f-word popped up multiple times in a song. Imagine my disappointment. Everything I loved about Sufjan was tainted. He was always so pure, so likeable, so meaningful. I could identify with him; we wrote for the same person. So different, even vulgar now. The word itself doesn't bother me so much... but I just couldn't believe whose mouth it was coming from. I still like his music, but I just don't see it the same way. I listen at a distance now. Oh well... So much for that.  

*End of rambling*

Disappointed.... devastated.

Lord, is there no one left?
No one left.

Paganini

So basically... I want to play violin. It makes any and all music for me. You know how there's just that one instrument that can play the ABCs and you are still floored because it's so beautiful? Well chya... this is it.

I bought this picture at an antique store. There's something about it that well... I have no idea.

"I want to live again"

I just discovered that I never knew anything at all. I ran wildly in every direction.
I want to live again.

Proverbs 30-
“I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!"

I kinda feel like this right now on this Christmas day. Life really is wonderful isn't it?!

Merry Christmas!!

Emmanuel

There's just something about this song...

Sufjan Stevens- O Come O Come Emmanuel

W&W (Working all Weekend= the opposite of R&R)

I am so pooped I think I'm going to die. I've been working to convert some poorly used space in my house (quite frankly my brother's bedroom) into a sweet hangout. Its coming along. Ripped out the carpet and painted bla bla bla. I wish I had something meaningful to say today.

Finals Week

Life has been so stressful I could die!!
But its getting better.
Christmas is coming.

I've been trying to experiment with my camera more and more and I think I got one with the effect I was looking for, although its not quite there yet... I have my eye on a couple lenses that just might do the trick..

God has been so good to me this week.

A Night Among Others

Sometimes days don't go very well and the nights that follow aren't much better. This was one of those nights. So many frustrations, so many worries. On nights like these I walk. This particular night I walked to the ocean. I think most people who have nights like these walk, and usually end up at the shore. Looking around, all I can see are lonely people staring at the water. They are usually surrounded by their friends, food, or even all their worldly possessions in a plastic bag at their side. We all look different, but we are all staring for the same reason. I figure when things in life are completely out of our own control, we need to go see something incredibly ordinary that is far outside of our control and completely within the control of God. For this reason I walk to the ocean on nights like these. If I can believe that God is in control of all things above and below the ocean, why couldn't I trust him with all of the frustrations and worries that drove me there?

This night wasn't the best, and neither are the pictures.
But I think I learned something.

Ugh... Excuses, Excuses!

Ok so upon request I am updating my blog. I have been called out on my utter laziness!

This month has been kinda crazy with plenty of ups and downs. As of right now I still don't have a vehicle which limits my photo-taking excursions in a big way. Anyways... I've gotten some stuff that I find neat-o.

Oh and I forgot to mention... I hung out in Nicaragua for a couple weeks this summer. It truly is one of the most beautiful countries in the entire world. I just wish there wasn't constant war down there. Its strange, the land and the people are so beautiful, but they are in constant turmoil. I think I'll be going back next summer though.

Home

So last week I got in a car accident. It was scary. I'm ok but my poor car died... So as of right now I am left without any sort of personal transportation. So basically I've been walking everywhere! Not that I mind. I love walking! Its actually been kind of nice because I've had plenty of time to take some nice pictures on my way from Point A to Point B. This is my home. I'm noticing how beautiful it is now that I have time to. Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest kid in the whole world. Then again sometimes I don't... like when I get knocked unconscious by an airbag.

The Downside.....

The Upside...

A Stolen Idea...

The Fourth of July!!

Instead of hanging out at home for the fourth this year, we decided to head out to Newport Beach with some family friends and cause a rukus. The family had camped out next to the bay with their RVs. I have never seen so many people in one place!! It was crazy. We had tacos and watched the fireworks... and I never put my camera down. Haha I was able to borrow a really sweet (and very long) lense and took some pretty neat shots. Apparently I looked pretty legit as I had a bunch of people coming up to me and asking me to take pictures of them or who was paying me to take pictures of everyone. I just laughed and said I was just an amateur and tacked on a "much" here and there. (If you're from california you should know what that means.) Anyways.... it was an awesome day of sunshine, barbeque, and fireworks.

Emma was excited to get in the water...

The local scenery...

The local natives...

Our hangout...

Meat for tacos!

Food!

Chya.... dog lover?? Naw...

Explosions in the sky....

Ok yea! I like dogs!

The Pier

The redondo beach pier is one of my favorite places. Its really small and really only fisherman hang out there, but its a really neat place! There's always something going on in the harbor. I went down there with my cousins and messed around for awhile. Next to the pier there's this neat park and an old library that had been renovated and turned into a civic center. The old library looks basically the same way it did when it was built in 1930.  I'm not exactly sure when the this first picture was taken. Maybe the 70s?? But honestly, I have no clue. But anyways.... I took the of the pictures below it a couple days ago.

We went out on the pier over the water and saw rhe coolest sail boats. They all had different colored sails. They looked so awesome against the gray cloudy sky. The light was coming down through the clouds in beams that surrounded the boats. A really cool old guy was checking them out too... and he had a much fancier camera than I had.

~self portrait~

(lame)

~the old man and the sea~

My night ended when I realized I got too excited by the sail boats and forgot to put change in my meter....

Thirty five dollars later..... my latest post.