Photography, Black and White

This Could End Up Being a Serious Post

     When it comes to electing people for public office, especially the office of president, Christians should remember a few things when going to the polls.  First, that the government is not a religious establishment. Too often do I hear fellow believers criticize frontrunners such as Romney on the basis of religion, and only religion.  This is walking on the edge of a cliff, politically.  Simply because someone who is running for office shares your belief in God, or maybe they even claim to be of your denomination, does not insure the country from recession, foreign invasion, immoral lifestyles, or any other problem.  If they do not have the knowledge or the head for running a country, then they are not fit to be running a country, no matter how many people they've baptized or how many lives have been changed during their church services.
     Other than voting, there are many ways in which people get involved in politics.  These various political activities may not be a COMPLETE waste of time, but they certainly are not the most efficient way of educating the population about whom to vote for.  Christians who believe in what the Founding Fathers have written down in the Constitution should be engaging the people next door, attempting to change the heart of the nation.  Alongside of this, we should encourage people to get educated about economics and foreign policy and especially domestic policy.  When the nation as a whole changes, that is when the Constitution will again function properly.  As it is at present, the Constitution isn't much help because (1) fewer and fewer politicians think it is necessary enough to follow and (2) fewer and fewer citizens even know what is contained in its pages.

More Things I Do Not Like About Growing Up

If I repeat myself (one of my previous posts had to do with growing up) I apologize.

1.  You forget that the joke or story you are telling isn't anything new to your listeners

2.  People you encounter along the path of life will sometimes LOOK grown up, but ACT like a child

3.  Did I already mention weddings?

4.  500 page textbooks

5.  How you displace more water when going in a hot tub the older you get

6.  Some friends become ununderstandable

7.  All sorts of words or phrases become inappropriate, because someone decided that they mean something else

8.  How Heather calls me squid

9.  Grandparents who can't do all the physical activities they used to be able to do

NOW, I will "switch gears" and post some things I actually like about being grown up, even though I'm only 18...

1.  Driving

2.  Driving stick

3.  Driving stick at night

4.  Driving stick at night in the snow

5.  Music: my musical tastes have expanded exponentially

6.  Money, which is the result of MY labor, not my parents'

7.  The ability to think for myself

8.  I can go in hot tubs in public places, because I'm 18!!!

9.  Increased physical abilities

10.I understand grown ups better, like my parents, and appreciate them more, a lot more

I think I'll just skip #11, if that's ok with y'all

12.I get to decide my style of dress, music, and all that

13.Cycling

I'm running out of ideas, so that will be it for this post.

Family Cleaning Night

I found all sorts of old school work, including this...

I also found old artwork, including this...

And wouldn't you know it, I found glasses, which are not of any use, because they are only slightly ambered, and they aren't reading glasses, so they are purposeless...

I also found $5 in a DQ gift card.

Also,

- Rough draft of a Tour de France research paper

- Rough draft of a 1920s research paper

- Letters to Uncle Nate

- Letters from friends

- A t-shirt which my dad drew on: Larry the Cucumber in Red Sox clothes with a bat

- Dad's old dartboard

- Workbooks from Awana retreats

- Tickets (Red Sox games, Philly Museum of Art, Casting Crowns concert (why??), Sixers game)

- Old art tablet

- Bibles

- Clothes which haven't been worn in a while

- Cassette player

- CD player

- iPod armband

- Model cars

- Toys which have been in their boxes for years (don't worry, I don't think magnetics toys wake up at night)

- Hats

- A pop up book, by me, called the Tower of London, with just one page

Lots more.......

Abby Said to Make One About Skiing, So...

I like skiing, and this is a list of some of my favorite things about it.
1.  Cold
2.  Long Johns
3.  Riding up the lift with someone you've never seen before, but somehow have a connection with because both of you ski
4.  The first wreck of the day
5.  Snowplowing with your face when you wreck, eating a ton of snow
6.  Snow
7.  Looking with longing at the trails which aren't yet groomed
8.  Watching snowboarders fall on their way off the lift
9.  Slick chrome American prince (from a song by the Killers, which has nothing to do with skiing, but oh well)
10.Pretending to be a good terrain park skier
11.Lifts which don't take a year to get to the top of the mountain
12.Standing at the top of the mountain in the dark, looking down a double-black diamond
13.Clicking your heels into the bindings, knowing you are now about to hit the slope
14.NOT the outrageous prices at the lodge
15.The cool rental guys
16.Traveling up the lift with a cute girl
17.Getting up at 5 AM, but this time with motivation
18.Hitting ice and skidding 10 feet
19.The snow around the mountain, because there is no snow where we live

Things I Dislike About Growing Up

Yes, I dislike/hate lots of things it seems.  Maybe I'll make a post sometime about stuff I actually enjoy.  Anyways, TO BUSINESS!!!!!!

27.Marriage (Those who know me WELL know why I put #27 as marriage.  But, even if you know me WELL, you probably will still wonder why I put #27 first.)
1.  When you grow up, you can't really live without getting a job.
2.  And "job" is another word for I-don't-have-a-life-unless-I-work-at-something-I-like.
3.  You aren't little anymore, and little is fun a lot of times.
4.  Body Odor
5.  Owning a house, everyone says it's overrated.
6.  If you are a boy, like me, some girls stop being your friend, and start this whole "I like you" thing.  NO fun.
7.  Girls, for the MOST part, are no longer any sort of good competition when it comes to athletics.
8.  Boys who were your friends start "liking" girls instead of playing sports.
9.  More responsibility
10.All the sudden, when strangers talk to you in stores, mom and dad are ok with it.  I was just fine with it when we didn't talk to strangers.
11.I'm trying to think of more...  11 things is not enough...
12.Lots of money comes your way, but it also goes away...
13.How you have to wait until age 21 to legally drink.  Like I'm going to terrorize the world because I had a glass of wine...
14.I guess #13 was kind of dumb.
15.The crap-load of ads that are aimed at you.
16.How you can't play in places like the Hands On House, because you are too old.
17.The lack of motivation to go on hikes and stuff like that, which used to be cool.
18.Above most of what I put down, temptation.
19.No time for toys.
20.Paying for your own shoes.
21.Pressure to get married as soon as possible.
22.How most people lose their childish logic for adult fantasies.
23.Chores, which I don't think I did before age 6 or 7.
24.Jeff Gordon's number!!!!!!!!!  Jeff Gordon rocks!!!!!!!!!
25.All the school work, which seemed so tantalizing as a 4 year old.
26.Moving, especially if it's more than once.
27.That's enough for now.