Incredible

Last night Michal and I went to see The Incredibles with Steve and Jen. The Incredibles, the new film from Pixar and Disney, may be the best one yet. I think my favorite Pixar film is still Monsters Inc. but this one is top-notch. The film follows the ups and downs of the life of superhero Mr. Incredible and his family of "supers". His son, Dash, was one of my favorite charactors... he seemed like all those kids we know with ADD. Frozone (yes, that was one of the superhero's names) was the best comic relief I have seen in an animated film since Hades in Hercules.

On a greater scale than just the film are the disolving ties between cartoon mega-monster Disney (aka "the mouse") and CGI power-house Pixar. Pixar, who shares a CEO with Apple computers, has only one film left on contract with Disney and then they are parting ways. The next film to come, Cars, seems to have appeal for Nascar fans, people who make fun of Nascar fans, and also fans of Thomas the Tank Engine.

I am very excited to see what Pixar will come up with on their own. Boundin' - the short film before The Incredibles, I think is a taste of what's to come. Original, beautifuly animated, and clever. I think it will translate well into full length films. I'm not quite sure what Disney's influence has done to the Pixar films but I imagine that it has only been negative. Pixar may be the next Disney! Time will soon tell.

Organized Mafia

Check this out... it's the mafia! Okay, so it's not the real mafia, but boy is it funny. This is an organized group of students who play the card game Mafia. I found that there are actually quite a few groups of organized mafia players at universities around the country. You can check out this groups web site (listed above) and find rules, information about the game, and even listings of when they get together and play. I have played the game many times, but I think it would get a little old playing with the same group of people. Oh well! I guess it's better than those psyco D&D players!

Is this for real?

The Grumpy "Old" Man: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So it's really great to look through other people's random blog entries... this one for example: Not only is this guy from Alabama, but then he is writing about his great aunt Jessie and her fifth husband. This is the America that I love! Some people talk about elliminating the masses of idiots (Krammy!), but I think they are the ones who make this country what it is. Just think of all the satisfaction that you can get by driving behind someone who has bumber stickers that say cute things like "Defeat Bush... again" and "Kerry / Edwards", people who have destroyed the paint on their cars just to support a loser make me smile.

My iTunes

Well, I guess since I have been spending a lot of time writing about really important things and life-changing decisions, that I should now write about something a little lighter... like, what I am listening to
these days. First off, though, before I launch into it, I want to make one thing clear... look at my picture... look closely. I am by no means an Emo kid. I like Weezer, I always have, but just because I like other Weezer-like bands doesn't mean I wear tight jeans, Ramones t-shirts, horn-rimmed glasses, and mope around the indie-music store all day. That having been said, here is my list of indie music (mainly) that I listen to these days... this list will of course change in the next week or two, but that what it's all about:

1. Ben Kweller - Just found out about this guy last week... he rocks you can even download his music from his website | here

2. Elliott Smith - Again, a guy I just started listening to. I bought the XO cd and than the From a Basement... album as soon as it came out. Kind of a sad, suicidal sound.

3. Wilco - I have listened to them for a while but never bought a cd 'till A Ghost is Born came out, this album is great. They are kind of my post-Guster fix. Check 'em out! - not to be confused with Wilco plumbing.

4. Modest Mouse - This is a little less indie and a little more verge!
Great sound, a little "out there" but with tracks like The World at Large and Float On this is one solid album | Good News for People who Like Bad News.

5. Rufus Wainwright - This guy might be the one on this list who stays here. He isn't what I would call phenomenal, but he has such a rich sound that I think he will be around for a while. With his new album Want Two he is well on his way to being a solid contender for my "Ben's Music List" of the year.

Well, that's it. There are some of the top artists that I am listening to. I think an honorable mention should go to Fountains of Wayne, Lyle Lovett, Guster, John Hiatt, Loudon Wainwright III, and Bruce Springsteen since they have all made it to the "top 25 most played" playlist on iTunes. One more thing to mention here too... Synergy... this is a little utility that everyone on a mac should have, check it out!

Thanks Karis

Glad you are going to be my cousin, Ben.

This has got to be one of the greatest cards that anyone has ever given to me. The "I (heart) you" is especially great. All three of the Taylor children made me cards and they were all great, and now I know that I have to keep it in mind that the kids love "fun" wedding parties (none of this boaring slow dancing!).

She Said Yes & The Crazy Weekend

I asked her, and she said yes. On Friday night Michal and I were at our friend's house with her brother and sister-in-law, and her cousin Chris and his family. It was a nice night of just sitting around talking, drinking Wassle, watching the wind blow the fire, looking at pictures of "the old times past" and trying not to show how incredibly nurvous I was.

We left the Baker's house late, nearly half-past midnight, and went for a drive (one of my favorite past-times). We soon found ourselves at the lake, standing in the cold, flooded in the light of my headlights. We talked about what a wonderful evening it had been and how blessed we are to have friends who care so much about us and show us what it means to be godly parents and godly husbands and wives. As we pondered this blessing I told her that this thought led me to a question that I would like to ask and got down on my knee.

That was the start to a weekend of an abundance of joy and an overflow of blessings and best wishes from our friends and relatives. Saturday we decided that it would be fun to reinact our evenings saga in front of multiple groups of people and proceeded to fool our friends and family into believing that they were witnessing "the" event.

I can honestly say that I have never spoken to so many people in one day as I did this past Sunday. Everyone at church was full of "best wishes" and congradulations as well as advice and intrest in when to get married and how to plan the future. Towards the end of the day we were both feeling a little overwhelmed with advice, but we could not be more thankful for the wonderful friends that God has given us. Thank you everyone, and may God bless you has he has blessed me.

This is a picture of me at the Graden of the Gods in Colorado Springs just a few weeks ago. Well, there's really nothing else that needs to be said right now... this is more like a space filler...

Lunch with Mr. Bayly

I have come to the conclusion that it is a better idea, when I want a positive answer, to eat lunch with Mr. Bayly than to eat breakfast.

Today he and I went to Noodle Town , though I am known to not like Chinese food, and he told me that he would like Michal and me to get married sooner than later. This idea is, of course, quite in line with what I would like as well.

There's so much more to say, so many emotions running through my heart, my head, but no words will do them justice and I fear I would simply continue to ramble on. Mr. Bayly continually shows me that he knows me better than I would expect or guess.

Well, I have a few more things to do today, but most importantly I need to consider how I am to "pop" the question (and soon, tonight!).

What am I tired of?

I am reading through Doug Fields' book, Your first two years in youth ministry and just read a letter that his friend Brian wrote him about being tired and quitting. This is exactly how I feel. I have been at this for less than a year, I know that I don't know what I am really doing, but I am tired of being tired.

As Brian said in his letter, I am tired of parents having a beef with me, but instead of telling me they call a dozen other people. I'm tired of people considering youth ministry as less important than other ministries and not giving me the support I need (and I'm tired of buying this lie). All in all I'm just tired. Brian said that he had quit the day before, but then he went home, not having told anyone and read this:

Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Ephesians 6:13

The battle isn't between me and parents. It's not between me and kids, it's not between me and myself, rather the battle is the Lord's. He is fighting, through me, the powers of darkness in this world and my call is to stand.

And stand I will.

Your feet are going to be on the ground, your head is there to move you around, so stand - REM, Stand