Happy New Year

Hello everyone! We just wanted to say "happy New Year" to all those who read our blog. I hope that all reading this will be spending a wonderful New Year's Eve somewhere or just at home and I look forward to a new year ahead. Visiting NY with my family, I realized that my younger brother Michael is more of a media star than I realized. Check out his production of Cyber Idol at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaLgUirVmpA

Pretty funny - if I do say so myself. Makes me want to hook up my digital camera and try shooting some videos myself.

Nacho Libre movie review

OK folks, I have to confess I wasted a rental on this one. This movie is boring, unfunny and stupid. I was pretty disappointed though, because I really like Napoleon Dynamite and thought that this would be hilarious and funny. Although it may not have been dirty, it crossed the line of stupidity to the point of making me wonder if I should waste an hour and a half to watch the whole thing through. You may like this movie, but I found it a waste of time. I do enjoy Jack Black and like him in the movie School of Rock, however, I believe he had an unfunny and weird story to work with and even his talent as a comedian couldn't lift this movie out of the pit of movie duds. If you are really in a crazy mood or feel so tired that seeing someone fall on their face is hilarious to you, then perhaps you should give it a try. I guess I failed to see the point in trying to enjoy this movie. Hopefully the writer/director of this movie will learn from their mistakes with this one.

Fight Club movie review

OK, it has been a while, some of the time of watching TV has been spent getting caught up in the TV show "Lost", but I finally rented a movie I want to comment on. "Fight Club" with Brad Pitt. I rented this movie knowing it had that very popular line : "The first rule of fight club is... don't talk about fight club." and was hoping for a thought provoking movie about men who learn about themselves while fighting each other. Instead, I saw a sort of confusing, artistic, yet disturbing movie about a man who feels so dead inside, he becomes unruly and crazy and begins to train a group of people to follow the same lifestyle. Watching this movie made you feel like life is a disoriented purpose-less and the only real thing worth doing is causing mayhem and fighting others to find release in life. This was a strange and artistic movie and left me feeling kind of down. I am afraid I can't recommend this movie for viewing. There is so much blood, gore, violence, bad language, and inappropriate scenes, that the cover art is very appropriate because it needs a good bar of soap to clean up the moral message of this film. I'm not saying that all movies have to have a happy ending, but I definitely think there could be a redemptive theme more prevalent in the movie. I mean even shows like "Lost" have a strand of hope that the people will be rescued (redemption). This movie can be summed up with one sentence:

We all struggle with our personal demons and long for true meaning in life - deal with it.

I don't believe that quest for true meaning needs to end the way this movie does.

The Family Man review

He said: This movie was another 5 star movie in my opinion. Extremely well done and similar in a way to "It's a Wonderful Life". However it isn't a remake and it is different enough to be a very funny, interesting, movie that is definitely worth watching. I actually liked Nicholas Cage in this movie (even though I don't like him in a lot of different movies) and the values this film supports really were refreshing to see a movie where your business isn't the most important thing in your life. It was very cleverly put together and showed the value of raising a family and being a man who doesn't always have to have the best in life in order to share your time and money with your family. Very, very well done - excellent acting - excellent story - two thumbs up!

She said: I saw this movie when it came out in the theater and remembered that it was one of Nicholas Cage's best movies. I was excited to watch it again and I have to say that I liked it even more. It was very funny the way the movie addresses some of the serious issues that can come up in married life: not having enough time for eachother, the joy of having a good community of friends that know you and keep you accountable, giving up some dreams for others, loyalty, and commitment to family. I think Tae Leone (sp?) is a wonderful actress and does a great job as a busy Mother. My favorite aspect of this film has to be the father daughter relationship! It has an interesting humerous twist that underlies the entire movie!! Two thumbs up!

Man in the Iron Mask

I would give this movie 5 stars out of 5! Two thumbs up. An excellent movie about the noble swordsmen of the past. I know this was a fictional story, but the retelling of this movie is superb! I thought the acting was top-notch, the landscape and scenery very beautiful and the storyline interesting and action-packed. Highly recommended. In fact I would consider buying this movie or at least watching it again. The main plot is that there are twins in the kingdom - a evil brat of a king, and a locked up twin brother who has a noble heart and chooses not to be bitter. The four musketeers have to unite to over-rule the evil, selfish king. How they do it I won't say, but it is very interesting and this movie-version of the Alexander Dumas' tale is definitely worth the rental. Inspiring and well-done in my opinion.

Go!Go!Go!

I think that the Nike slogan, "Just Do It!" is pretty wise for some things. Let me explain, I tend to be in what a personality test I took labeled me as a "thinker". If you are similar in this type of thought processing you "think" about doing things, but it is hard to get to the action portion. It can be good because I'm very cautious when I make decisions, but it also is just a breeding ground for laziness and procrastination in specific areas. There is a bible verse that says, "Do not eat the bread of idleness." I have to remind myself of that at times. I also can lean towards perfectionism, which is where I hesitate to do something unless it's "right" the first time. My best friend made a comment a few years back that she had never met anyone that read so much about cleaning, but didn't actually "do" it. Hahah! That is me in a nutshell in some areas. Thankfully, I was very blessed to live with two amazing women (Amy & Abby) who really emphasized to me by their example, that the things I procrastinate only take 1/2 the time I think they will. They really showed me that it is all a matter of keeping up with everything a little at a time and being consistant (not letting mail, dishes, dust, laundry pile up sky high). In fact, Abby helped me organize my closet (she could be a professional organizer) in an hour when I thought that we would need to block off 1/2 a Saturday to get it done. The lesson learned: stop thinking about when and how you're going to do it and actually start working on it.

In the last few months, while adjusting to my new role as a wife, I've really tried hard to turn over a new leaf in the areas that I'm prone to fall into procrastination. I hope that some of my experiences can help or motivate you as well.

Sucess Story #1: The name change after marriage was going smoothly, but I was dreading going to the DMV. I had procrastinated on this task because, well it's the DMV. I would rather go to the dentist than the DMV. It was starting to effect me though because my driver's license had the wrong address and name. Not good. One day, I went to our bank to change my name, then went to a store to return something, and then a light bulb went off when I realized that I had all the paperwork together and could size the moment of opportunity to go to the DMV. I had to push through my laziness - by not thinking about less important things I'd rather do instead. Literally, I had to turn my car in the direction of the DMV without thinking about it. There was actually a rush of excitement and a voice saying, "Go! Go! Go!". Well, I walked into the DMV at 3pm on a Wednesday and waited for a total of 5 minutes before they called my name. The entire process only took 25 minutes. I'm so glad that in that moment of putting off this dreaded task - I pushed through and just did it instead of thinking about how much I didn't want to do it.

Sucess Story #2: Laundry is my most dreaded household chore. I recently informed my husband to his surprise that I'd rather clean the bathroom than do laundry. I think there should be one machine that does the washing, drying and folding! Where is that robot from the Jetson's? I was much better at completing all of these steps in college because there was a consequence of having laundry left in the washing machine: your stuff would be taken out and put on the table for all to see. Also, there was a narrow time window of when the laundry mat had washers available.

Well, our washing machine broke a couple of weeks ago (Paul went down to the Leasing Office to complain looking pitiful in mismatched socks and shorts in cold weather). As a result, we got permission to use a washer in another apartment. We had to carry our laundry to another apartment to get it done. There was a catch too: it had to all be done by 4:30pm to take the key back to the leasing agent. Paul and I were so motivated - we were watching a movie (of course) - and every 20-30 minutes he would pause it and we would rush over to move the laundry process forward! We accomplished our goal. It was very rewarding!!

After our machine was fixed, I decided to wash all my laundry. I've done probably about 16 loads (our machine is tiny). It has really felt amazing to see the end of the basket. I hope to maintain this by keeping up with it once or twice a week. :) That's all for now. I hope this little sampling helps you get things done too!

Robin Hood - Men in Tights

I must admit I found this movie to be HILARIOUS! I'm definitely not a fan of the remake of Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves. I found this movie a welcome parody of such a lame movie. Don't get me wrong on this, I do love the story of Robin Hood, but I found the Prince of Thieves movie terrible with a capital T. I personally think Cary Elwes would have been a better serious Robin Hood instead of Kevin Costner. It is traditionally kind of corny, but if you don't expect the movie to be extremely witty, I think you find it very funny and amusing. I loved the Little John and Robin Hood fight sequence. I won't give that away, but they made it great for laughs. Also it was funny to see them make fun of the witch in the Prince of Thieves movie. I'm not sure there is really any witch reference in the original legend, so I thought it was great that they poke fun of the character throughout "Men in Tights". Also, being it is directed by Mel Brooks, be prepared for some obvious references to his prior movies. All in all, a great movie to see a very funny take on a classic legend.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest review

I know most people have seen this movie, but I after hearing that it won so many awards, I decided to finally rent it. I must say the acting was top-notch. It starred people like Danny Devito, and Christopher Lloyd whom I didn't even know were in it. The story was intriguing too. Basically a man who really isn't insane goes to a mental institution to be evaluated by professionals to see if he is really mentally ill. While there he really forms some good friendships with the men there, and encourages them to begin acting like real people. Unfortunately, this movie portrays Jack Nicholson as the hero in that he wants to let the men smoke, sleep around and be rebels to the authority figure in their life. The film really portrays friendship in an interesting light and has an interesting take on treating patients as people rather than just "cases". In that way it is similar to Patch Adams. However, the ending is kind of sad and emotionally moving. I found it slightly disturbing, but very interesting and well acted. Recommended if you want a good drama that depicts the value of friendships and the sinful rebellion that is found in all men.

Peter Pan movie review

Excellent movie. Most people like the story of Peter Pan and this movie was very well done for a movie starring real people (as opposed to Walt Disney's cartoon). I thought it moved along well, was pretty accurate to the story and was still exciting It was a well-done creation of the story and I liked it better than the movie "Hook". While I acknowledge the movies weren't meant to be the same, I found the story better and not as modernized as "Hook", and thought the boy who played Peter Pan was very good at acting. Captain Hook was also well acted and he also was cast as the father of Wendy, Michael and John in which he also did a fine job. All in all, a great movie for the whole family.

Where Does Passion Come From?

My post today is about the source of passion. Where does it come from? We all know that passion is something most people like to be around. It is an almost contagious way of feeling, talking, and exploring a subject. What is the source of passion? How do I become more passionate? People are drawn to passion. Whether you are passionate about your hobby, your sports team, your job, or you faith in God - anyone who observes it usually shows some interest in why you are so passionate about your subject of choice. I believe the one thing that motivates passion in someone and causes them to grow more and more excited is one thing - their love for the subject. In some ways I believe it is totally unfair to talk about passion without mentioning love because love fuels their passion. Those that don't love much, don't show much passion for life. Those that have a burning desire to communicate what they are learning and share it with others are usually defined as passionate. Passion is something that employers usually want to see in their employees. Passion is what causes a salesman to sell so many of his/her products. How can we be more passionate? I have several ways I believe will help to grow more passionate:
1. Study what you are passionate about. If you are truly excited about something, studying it shouldn't be an effort.
2. Invest time and money in your subject of interest. Put your money where your mouth is - as the saying goes. Those that don't invest time and money (very closely related) in their interest show they lack interest.
3. Talk about your passion with others. It is hard to be passionate about something without talking to others about it. Communicating in words and writing are two ways you can increase your knowledge of something and encourage others to dive deeper into your love.
4. If you are passionate about someone - spend time with them whenever possible. This one relates to #2, but I reiterate because obviously there is a difference between passionate about something vs. someone. If you are truly in love with someone, you must make it a priority to spend quality time with them (whether it be a work mentor, a best friend, or a spouse).

Note on the Picture: the balloon flame is supposed to represent the flame of passion NOT symbolize that this blog post is all hot air.

Rollercoasters and the Meaning of Life

A few weekends ago, I decided to go to the King's Dominion Amusement Park with my wife. In my younger days, I have always been up for a good scare doing all the roller coasters I could jump on. I have been to Six Flags, and Hershey Park and had a good time trying to ride the wildest, craziest rides possible, getting all that adrenaline flowing and feeling the thrill in my blood. Well I must be getting old or something!!!! OK, I'm not that old yet. I'm only 27 years old, and I still enjoy doing things exciting (i.e. mountain biking, driving fast, I even break 65 mph from time to time, etc.). I'm not ready for the rocking chair. Yet going to King's Dominion was: - how do I say this - humbling. I ended up riding two rides that terrified the living daylights out of me. Maybe it's this whole marriage thing, but life didn't seem worth throwing away on a run away roller coaster. Of course roller coaster accidents rarely occur, but there is always that 0.01% chance that you will fall out. It's not worth it I tell you. There is so much life to enjoy why raise your blood pressure and make yourself feel like you are jumping off a cliff with no harness? I do hope to live a long enjoyable life, and although I had a great time with my wife, and thought it was great eating a funnel cake and riding go-carts, I believe I will leave the crazy roller coasters to those who want to make their body feel like they are about to die. I for one am for having life and having it more abundantly. Of course Jesus is the only One who can truly give that (John 10:10).

All the President's Men (movie review)

OK, time for the following Netflix review of the 1970's movie "All the President's Men". This movie starred Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman (in their prime - people, in their prime). It was all about the Watergate incident and how two reporters at the Washington Post found out all about it and exposed it for what it was. It was a pretty interesting movie about reporters however it was mangled with some language that was pretty crude and offensive. I'm not sure if that was realistic or not (having never worked for a newspaper), but it did lower my enjoyment of the film. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman were great. They are such good actors, and as Chrystal remarked - Robert Redford was - in those days - the Brad Pitt of his day. Some of the story may have been glamorized a bit for the movies, but as I'm no expert on the Watergate incident, I enjoyed it even if part of it was fictional. That's the thing with historical movies. It is pretty hard to take a biography or true historical event and make a movie out of it that is spell-binding to watch. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is an example of this. The show and the books are two different stories almost. Enough of this review. If you like Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman - you'll probably like All the President's Men.

Neat ending by the way. I won't give it away, but I thought it was creative and well done.

Amadeus Movie Review

Ok, I decided to join Netflix and since I have increased the amount of entire movies I'm watching (as opposed to a part here and there between commercials as TV gives you), I thought I should write an analysis of the movie and what I think of it. After all, I don't believe in just allowing movies to influence my thinking and worldview without really thinking to how it applies to life.

First movie I watched was the 80s classic "Amadeus". I know. I know, this has been around for a while and here it is 2006 and I'm just beginning to watch it. Well at least I finally did. I used to take piano lessons, so I have played some amount of Mozart and do have respect for him as a composer and musical genius. My wife and I sat down watching Amadeus and we quickly became hooked. I thought it was very well written and definitely did not have the boring pace of "Pride and Prejudice" (no offense to all who love those movies). I found it fascinating that one of the main opponents of Mozart was this character who actually loved Mozart and was astounded at his brilliance in music, yet believed that he wasn't as blessed from the Lord with the gift of music. In the long run, he becomes bent on destroying this man and becomes bitter at God. Why? Mainly because he believed that God had given Mozart a gift he didn't deserve. Mozart was kind of a wild fellow, and although he was diligent the main guy (I forget his name) became jealous to the point of turning his back on God believing that he was blessed with less of a gift of music than Mozart. Sounds like he worshipped the gift of music more than the One who gives us good music (God). His idolatry finally climaxed when he worked Mozart to death, and then ended up going insane himself. Fascinating. Really showed how common grace in music is given in different portions to different people and the danger of becoming so obsessed with the talent and success of another that you lose your joy in what you've been given.

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

X-Men 3 - The Last Stand
I have to confess that this movie was entertaining but not very substational. I had seen all the other X-men movies, so I decided to watch this one and it definitely offered plenty of action-packed clips. However there were parts that I just found kind of boring and without character development. First of all Wolverine in my opinion was just a cocky know-it-all who kind of got annoying with how powerful and great he thought he was. The other thing is that he says a line in there that really made me wonder if the script writer had a father problem. Wolverine tries to give counsel to one character and when she thinks he should give her an order to do the right thing Wolverine replies "I'm not your father, I'm your friend." What does that mean? All fathers are supposed to be bossy and not care what their children are struggling with and true friends understand in a way no father could? Lame, lame, lame. Fortunately, I was blessed with a father I would also consider my friend. On top of that, they all unite and live happily ever after. Kind of disappointing, and not worth re-watching in my opinion. However, our of 5 stars, I would give it about 3.5 because it still was better than Fantastic Four and the childish take-off Zoom in my opinion. That's my two cents.

The Value of Friendship

"No man is poor who has friends" - Clarance the Angel in "It's a Wonderful Life" - Having friends is one of the most important things you can have in this life. Friends help you to cope with tough times, celebrate good times and can offer you wise counsel that can save you a lot of pain. However, in order to make friends, you many times have to make the first move and be a friend. Before Chrystal and I started dating we would hang out at parties, and do things together in our group of friends, that helped us both get to know one another better and helped us to know whether we would enjoy dating each other. Over time we realized that we wanted to share life together and "tie the knot" so to speak. I'm so glad that I did. I don't ever look back on this decision with regret. Friends have value you can't measure in money.

Once-favorite movie

Do you ever have a favorite movie that you used to like, but find over time, it becomes less than you thought of it? I have. One movie I used to really think highly of was a movie called "Garden State". It is the story of a boy who is trying to find out who he is, and goes back to his home town to hang out with a bunch of his friends. He ends up finding that most of his friends are still addicted to drugs or basically just a bunch of losers and in the process tries to understand his father and falls in love with a girl who literally changes his life. At one point I felt that I sort of related, but after thinking more about it, I realize that this movie really portrays young adults as people who want to shrug off responsibility and live the life of a teenager with all the privileges of adulthood but none of the responsibility. It had some good points, like riches can make you feel empty and bored, but it also seemed to paint a sad picture of what young adults in America are trying to find - meaning in life. On top of that, it shows that many times they get stuck addicted to drugs, and in monotonous careers but few find the true value of loving another person. Fortunately the main character does eventually. It was at one time one of my favorite movies, but now - not so much.

Introduction

Hi there. This is me and my beautiful wife Chrystal. We just got married and thought we would create a blog together of our life.

Life is an adventure. I love it. I enjoy reading, chess, and spending time with my wife. I also enjoy reading my Bible, attending a great church, and have good times with friends (who doesn't?).

Chrystal really enjoys line dancing, reading, talking on the phone with friends, organizing our apartment, learning how to cook and a good movie.