Suggestion for the Music Industry

Do you know what is lacking in today's love songs? Not romance. Not wholesome imagery of women... Today's love songs are lacking the Dramatic Spoken Interlude.

Case in Point:

Exhibit A: "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men
"Baby, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for all the wrong I’ve done. Please come back home girl. I know you put all your trust in me. I’m sorry I let you down. Please forgive me" SIDENOTE: Do you think it is: Please come back home, girl. OR Please come back, home girl? I'm rooting for the latter.

Exhibit B: "All 4 Love" by Color Me Badd
"Yo-Come here sweetheart. I want you to know something all right. See everyday in my life without you is like a hundred years. The distance between us an ocean of tears. See all the things I do for you are for love. Dig it"

Exhibit C: "Dreaming of You" by Selena
"Corazon, no puedo dejar de pensar en ti, como te nesesito, mi amor como te extrano"
Selena gets extra points for speaking her dramatic interlude in Espanol. But, unfortunately Selena is dead. Accepting those extra points on her behalf is Shanice for her BRILLIANT one word spoken in "I Love Your Smile" ... SIKE!

Ode to Paula

In honor of the fact that I listened to some nostalgic hits today... I wrote a poem.

Ode to Paula

Straight up now tell me Paula,
Where did you go wrong?
You used to be so hip and fresh
When you’d sing my favorite song.

You provided the illest beats
For my 2nd grade talent show,
When little Lauren Gordon and I
Made De Portola Elementary say, “WHOA!”

In my mind you were the best
Forever Your Girl was where it’s at
And you couldn’t be any cooler
Than when singing with MC Skat Cat.

So what caused your steady decline?
What made your appeal be low?
Was it a broken heart?
Estevez (comma) Emilio?

Cuz Paula, let’s face it,
You’ve turned in to quite a freak.
I kind of think your craziness
Gets weirder every week.

1989 is calling
Saying stop being such a tool
You used to be so great Miss Paula

Miss Paula Julie Abdul.

funny kids

More like funny kid. I had dinner at my mom's house last night and Dustin was being so funny.

When I first got there he said, "Nayna...come see Cwazy Fwog!" Dustin and Neal were on YouTube watching the wierd frog sing techno songs. So when it comes on he starts dancing and running around the pool table. Then the next "cwazy fwog" song comes on and Dustin sings it. "Weeee are the chickens, my fwends." Yes, it's actually "We are the CHAMPIONS" But Dustin chooses to sing "We are the chickens" I think I prefer HIS version!

His other words of choice last night:
"Fricken Monkey" (sounds a little different)
"You a punk"
"You don do dat, you go timeout."
"Bung hole"

He's a really nice child. I promise!

Here's some pictures...of course.

Here's Dustin sitting on my head:

one of the greatest pictures

this is one of my favorite pictures that I've taken in a long time.

Thank you Amy Poehler...

The earth day joke is my favorite!

running people over

Some of you may have read
Allison's Blog yesterday about the old men thinking she was going to run them over...well I had a similar experience today at walmart. This guy gave me a really dirty look as if I was going to run him over. (I wasn't). But when I saw the shirt he was wearing, I really didn't feel bad at all. In fact, I kind of wished that I my brakes had gone out or something. I mean honestly, how can someone wear a shirt like this, look in the mirror, and say, "You are a decent human being, I think leaving the house in this attire is a good decision."

more like..."In the Land of Crazy People"

Seriously...this movie not only SUCKED...it gave us women a bad rap. These women in the land that seth cohen visits, consists of a crazy elderly woman who answers the door with no pants on, a dying middle-aged mom who makes out with 26 year olds, and a 16 year old emotional wreck who also makes out with 26 year olds. All of which puke emotional vomit in the form of their deep dark secrets with a stranger. I don't know about you ladies...but I don't really have much in common with those women...except the kissing 26 year old guys (ok...well 25 1/2) :)

Dear Men: Not all women are passive aggresive emotional nut-jobs. A lot are...but not all of them in the land.

Best part of the movie: Party scene...in the background is this awkward little asian kid that looks like Chase Ishii. It made me laugh.

strange men at the mall

Today, I made a quick stop at the mall to pick up some pictures and a few other things, and I observed two REALLY strange men.

The first is this. I was walking in one of the busiest parts of the mall...right by the escalators by the fountains. I went up the escalator, and right by it, sitting in the chair that overlooks the fountain was this Asian man who was TOTALLY asleep. I mean, head back, mouth open, completely passed out, oblivious to the fact that hundreds of people were walking by him, probably making fun of him.

THEN...I came across an even stranger man. As I was walking in the parking lot to my car, I passed a car with a man sitting in it. Not that weird, I know...but this man was shaving his head inside his car!!! Who does that? He had and electric razor plugged in to the cigarette lighter and was shaving his head! Honestly, I don't think I've seen a stranger thing.

Have you?

Things I learned yesterday...

1. Fruit tastes better right off the tree.

2. Citrus helps fight infection.

3. The older you get the better you get.

4. Chicken noodle soup ALWAYS makes sore throats feel better.

5. God is good. (Ok I already knew that...but I was reminded of it today)

I just couldn't do it...

So...I'm kind of a nerd/overacheiver/perfectionist (only selectively). And I'm in a Geography class. This week I had the opportunity to try something new. Take a test with not having been to one lecture on the subject matter and without cracking open the chapters. Here's the thing. We get to drop a test...so I KNEW this test was going to be dropped anyway.

I'm weak.

I caved in the last 45 minutes before class. I skimmed the chapters.

I got a B.

my favorite Mexico story...

On Thursday, my village and I were walking around downtown doing a little shopping. We stopped at one of those stands where a person will make a bracelet with your name on it in whatever color you want. One of the girls decides to buy one, so I was standing there waiting for her. Up walks this man...he's a large man, wearing sandals and shorts and a hawaiian shirt that I believe is halfway unbuttoned and he's carrying around an alcoholic beverage. I should also add that he's stumbling a little bit and laughing loudly with the other man he's with. Anyway, he walks up to the booth and gets REALLY excited about bracelets.

DRUNK GUY: Hey, dude...can you like make a bracelet with TWO words on it???

MEXICAN BRACELET MAKER: Yes.

DG: Awww...thats awesome.

MBM: Please just write down what you would like it to say.

DG: Ok awesome.

So DG takes the pad of paper and starts to write. Then he stops and looks at me.

DG: Excuse me. I know this is going to sound REALLY weird...but I've had A LOT to drink today and I'm not thinking very clearly...can you tell me how to spell "THE PUNISHER."

I really hope that sounds as funny to you as it did to me then. Hopefully the humor translates into blog. If not, you may need to hear the story live so you can get the full effect, Mexican accents and drunk slurred speech adds to the story.

Here's a picture of some of the kids in my village in downtown...(Just to give you more of a mental picture)

never too young...

Easter 2007

Today was a great Easter...very relaxing. I never put makeup on, never got out of my pajamas, didn't even brush my hair. It was awesome. Here are some pictures from my Easter...

We had an Easter Egg Hunt...
Made Cookies...Decorated them...of course.

And what's Easter without some playdough mustaches!

making myself laugh

This is kind of embarrassing to share. But this morning when I was driving to my parents house for Easter, I was listening to my ipod on random...and what song came on? Yes, that;s right. The Glory of Love by Peter Cetera. Yes, the theme song to Karate Kid. So I started singing it...very loudly. So loudly and with so much passion that I made myself laugh out loud. I couldn't sing anymore cuz I was laughing so hard at myself. I am such a goober.

MTV Scarred

I have a pretty strong stomach and blood doesn't really bother me that much. However, I can't even WATCH the trailer for this show. And they are hyping it hard...and it's really making me sick to my stomach.

Moments.

You know those moments in life where you get a reminder of why you do what you do? Well, I had one on Saturday night. I walked into the Junior High tent during the second set of music, which is the slower set. This weekend we had a choir of all our vocalists which is always fun. Anyway, we were singing a new song called " From the Inside Out" and the lyrics are, "And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise from the inside out, Lord, my soul cries out." As I was standing on the side watching our junior highers worship God, I just got really overwhelmed. I actually cried! (I'm such a goober sometimes) Here are kids who are 13 years old that are singing that they want to bring God glory and praise and they are singing it with all they have...and little Virus on bass was just singing and playing and Toth too. It was just one of those moments that makes the hard work and energy all worth it...ya know? It was just so encouraging to know that these kids, being so young, could worship the Lord and mean it. What amazing things does God have planned for them in the future?! Ahhh...so great! Such a breath of fresh air.

Then I went over to high school and Taffy was leading...and anyone who was there on Saturday knows what an awesome experience it was in high school too! I mean, people were so excited about Easter, and it's message, that they rushed the stage and were dancing all over the room! Crazy! But so fun! Although I'm not too sure about worship Congo Lines...I think that's a little over the edge...but it DID happen on Saturday!

This picture is during another one of those moments that I had around this time last year. When Nikki led worship for youth pastors from all over the world at PDYM. Knowing Nikki and what was going on in her life at the time, it was so evident that she didn't care if she was in front of thousands of people...she was truly just worshiping God, and everyone in that room could tell. The pastor that I was standing next to told me that when she led, it was probably the greatest worship experience he's ever had, even including the times he's gone to the Passion tours. That was another moment.

I love those moments.

joy.

This picture makes me happier than you know. The 5 of us on the ends have grown up in Saddleback Student Ministries and are now on staff. And the lovely woman in the middle is Katie, who is probably one of the main reasons that the other 5 of us are even here...We have been waiting and praying for those beams to go up for 12 years now...some of us longer....and it's finally happening. Ahhhh...such a blessing and I'm so excited for what's going to happen in our new Student Zone. Tonight when I was helping Jared wheel over all the stuff to the high school tent...I was anticipating having all of our stuff in one room! I can't wait. Student Zone...I have loved you before I even saw you!