Prolific Terrific/ Summer Playlist

You know, Andy Rooney's got nothing on me, especially when he gets a whole week to prepare whatever he writes on 60 Minutes.

Again, another time to laze about, another time to write.

I had two ideas for posts last night, so you might see them sometime.

Meanwhile, here's my summer playlist...kinda late for my Hoosiers and my buddies working in the Midwest and the East Coast, but just right for the California people still trying to get mileage out of their summer, finding ways to bask in the sun, hitting the beach.

I assure you, you will know most of the songs I have on the list too. They're in no particular order:

1. Lil' Rob - Summer Nights
For you low riders out there.
2. Will Smith - Summertime
A standard, no question.
3. Fantasia - Summertime
Gotta have vintage stuff too. Really good rendition.
4. Toni Braxton - Unbreak My Heart
This song makes the list because everybody's gotta recover from the aftermath of a summer hookup.
5. DJ Sammy and Yannou - Heaven
To the class of 2002.
6. Heatwave- Always and Forever
The ULTIMATE slow jam.
7. The Bangles - Eternal Flame
A 80's Summer Ballad
8. Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night
I don't know if roller rinks exist anymore, but I'm sure this was the rage back when the Ice Rink in PV was one.
9. Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
For those of you in favor of hot days in the urban ghetto. Ok, just urban.
10. Notorious BIG - Goin Back to Cali'
Bounce with me.
11. Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground
Gotta have Stevie somewhere on any song list I have.
12. Babyface - Reason for Breathing
More sappy summer drama.
13. Santana and Michelle Branch - Game of Love
(OCPSSS) - Overplayed Catchy Poppy Santana Summer Song. (can be replaced with Smooth)
14. Westlife - Uptown Girl
Wong Fu Productions needs to make their next video with this song.
15. Jon Lee--I mean Jay-Z- Big Pimpin'
N.O.H.O.I.N.V.A.F.O.Z.K.J.
16. LFO - Summergirls (the Abercrombie song)
It's just silly.
17. Ain't Nothin but a G Thang - Snoop and DRE
Compton and LB together now you know you're in trouble...
18. Madonna - Ray of Light
Probably the best Madonna song in the late 90's
19. Green Day - When I Come Around
Back when they hated ALL authority, not just Bush.
20. Coolio - Fantastic Voyage
This song makes me want to get a pimped out Pepsi truck.
21. Jagged Edge feat Nelly - Where the Party At?
Wave your arms like this: Left side, Right Side, Left, Left, Right Side, Left Side, Right, Right
22. Baby Bash - I'm Back
Listen to this while driving a fast car off the coast.
23. Ruff Endz - No More
Ditto.
24. Rihanna - Pon da Replay
Non-techno song with the most bass.
25. Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
You know, you can love only one woman, but you can love many guitars.
26. Chicago - Saturday in the Park
Find it. Oldie but goody.
27. Jason Mraz - The Remedy (I Won't Worry)
Just happy.
28. Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx - Gold Digger
For those of you in favor of Prenups.
29. Lucas Prata - And She Said...
Ever since I heard this on So You Think You Can Dance, it's been in my head.
30. Mariah Carey - Fantasy
For those of you who liked her when she could actually sing instead of moan.
31. Montell Jordan - This is How We Do It
He could never top his first single. That being said, this was as good as it got in 1995. Sheesh.
32. Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
The adult version of Kriss Kross' "Jump Jump"
33. Nelly feat Murphy Lee - Shake Ya Tail Feather
To the road trip where we heard this song 80 times Charlie.
34. Notorious BIG feat. Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems
When sampling is a good idea.
35. UB40 - Red Red Wine
Reggae without the Dancehall.
36. Savage Garden - The Animal Song
It makes me feel free.
37. U2- Beautiful Day
Yup, have to have U2 on this list too.
38. Tupac - California Love
Yeah, this playlist is about Cali love.
39. Jars of Clay - Sunny Days
Definitely a song that puts you in a good mood.

Others I forgot about?

Summer Nights - Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta
Len - Steal My Sunshine
Mase - Feel So Good
Sean Paul - Get Busy

Tell me!

Just Writin...Not Much Else

Song Mood – Quad City DJs – Come and Ride it (the Train)

Well, it’s already been about 2 and a half months since I came down to San Diego. Though school has gone by quickly, I still feel like it’s been an eternity. I have one more week to go, so I’m going to do my best to finish up on a high note.

I’ve definitely felt like I’ve grown up a little bit- changing my academic thinking has been much more difficult that I anticipated, and it has caused me to be a little more cynical in my approach to studying.

I think for that matter, I might have become more irritable at times--not just from lack of sleep! I think it’s a result of getting rid of as many distractions as possible. I’ve grown tired of living a life where social norms were all I knew, instead of seeking righteous, godly living. Call me a Bible-toting nutmeg crackhead (I bet you love that line), but I think I might be alright with being known as one. At least one who happens to be a dentist or something like that. And I am NOT a nutmeg (remember what show that came from?) or a crackhead.

I’ve been content living my life as follows:

Mon-Friday- School
Saturday- "Chill" and or study
Sunday- Church and or study

Perhaps it’s a more boring approach, but well, I anticipate that the structure will help. I hope to slowly institute a more regimented workout schedule involving running and biking whenever I can. Now that I’m back in California, I can be glad knowing that I’ll be as tan as my bookshelf.

Song Mood Change-

Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx (as Ray Charles – sweet) – Gold Digger

Damn, this album is gonna be off the hook! And yes, that’ll be the last time I ever say that on my blog.

Yes, Yet Another Survey (MUCH Shorter though)

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. It is written.

To My Hoosiers

Song Mood - Vengaboys - Boom Boom Boom... Oh, those good old pre-techno hits.

Blog Location- House on Genesee

Hey All,

I miss you guys. A lot. Probably to the point that it would be considered odd (especially when it isn't Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, or Significant Other) and sick.

So you guys are starting school on Monday; I'm still toiling away in summer school, followed by a two week break and then fall quarter.

I wonder what I'd be looking forward to if I had been there another year. I think I kinda outgrew AAA...as much as I enjoyed my tenure as prez, I just felt like I had nowhere to from there in terms of that. I guess it's the same feeling my predecessors had before me- just a realization that there are other things that needed to be achieved, other goals, other callings that needed to be followed.

The last thing I'd want is to be a hindrance to another leader.

There's never been a goodbye. And I guess that's appropriate. It's always nice to know that there are still people there at IU that I miss and care about, and that they are gonna be there whenever I get the chance to visit this school year. At the very least, I could try to catch a show at the Aud, or maybe a football/basketball game.

It's kinda pitiful that the students at UCSD have no school spirit...classes are tough, admittedly. You can never give up a day in the quarter system.

Aside from that, If I wanted to express one main difference between La Jolla, CA and Bloomington, IN, it's that in Bloomington, the town feeds off the college- when you go down Kirkwood Avenue and see the bars packed on Friday nights, or the college-friendly eateries, you know you're in a place that epitomizes the college town. In La Jolla, the college kinda just kinda becomes stuffed into the town...an "OC" type town...only the people who live in La Jolla are OLD. "Frat Row" was banned by the people of La Jolla, so the Greek life is pretty nonexistent. If you want to do anything...you need a car. Or at least somebody who has one.

People here say there isn't much to do in SD, but when you really get your mind into it, you can find your own fun. I did that for 4 years in South Central Indiana, so I'm used to adjusting to seemingly lifeless locations. Lots of great Mexican food, nice beaches, and pretty much the same environment I experienced in high school, so it's familiar and refreshing at the same time, since I got to avoid it for a while.

Anyhow, I'm off now, going towards a new life outside of college. It's gonna be tough, it's gonna be painful, but somehow, I will make it. Love you all.

-Sung    

Love is Kind, Love is Patient...

There was a quote I wrote a while back in an old post:

There are two things that I am against in this world: Abortion and Drunkeness.

After finding out some tragic news this past weekend, I am determined to uphold my opposition to the former...as far as I'm concerned, there is NO middle ground here.

Maybe you might consider me judgmental here. I don't care if you do in this case. On the contrary, I cannot let my heart be hardened thinking about such things. Those who consider abortion need knowledge, love and understanding. And those who've gone through with it need such things even more.

Smokey Robinson wrote the song "More Love" to his wife, after finding out that their child...was not to be. In the song, he talks about how he wishes to provide more love "than age or time could every destroy," and that "it would take 100 lifetimes to live it down, wear it down, tear it down."

I think I want to pour out myself a little more, and tell you how much I want to love God in that way, or that I want to be able to show that love to others. Maybe even more, I want to let others send it back to me.

It scares me to think that people misunderstand my intentions and my actions sometimes...as if I was out of my mind or that they see something about me that just isn't there. Just checking with you guys...do I really come off as too serious sometimes (and maybe as a result, not always fun to be around)? Dai-eng if that's the case. That's what happens when you worry about conduct too much, more so than other more pressing issues.

Well, at the least, I am beginning to appreciate how precious life is...seeing a newborn baby from now on might make me think about tearing up (certainly inside, if not outside) -they are the result of God's plan for His kingdom, representing the beauty of the future.

And it is for the future that I must fight.

Save the Drama Trauma, Mama

Beastie Boys - Sabotage

Blog Location - House on Genesee

Well, for all the times that you've gone through the pain of a sad experience, you've probably also had the opportunity to get somebody through one.

To me, it is a great feeling to know that listening, working through drama, and most importantly, bringing somebody back from that pain contributes to the strengthening of a friendship. When you reveal deep, dark, painful emotions, it tends to help friends bond (that is, as long as the friends are the only people to know about those deep, dark painful emotions- we'll assume blackmail isn't part of friendship, at least for this entry).

Now, I'm not saying that good friendships don't always go through that, but I think that the majority of them do. Who doesn't remember a friend being there for you when your car got trashed, or when you lost a loved one, or when the last Backstreet Boys CD sold out in 23 minutes.

We're all endowed with gifts- talents, traits, inclinations that favor us over others. If we are able to find these "gifts," then I guess there is nothing more suitable than to be able to use them for good, to benefit others, or most importantly, to spread the glory of God.

If you love children, volunteer at an after-school program, or teach Sunday School. If you can cook, teach somebody (like us single guys ;-)) how, so that he will eat for more than one day. Or make lunch for the congregation. If you can play an instrument, enlighten us with your skill, or join the praise team.

For me, I think one of my strongest gifts is my ability to listen. People can trust me with much, and in turn, they tend to be pretty loyal to me too. I feel that I've been able to utilize these skills as a leader to great advantage, opening doors into areas that wouldn't have been open to be otherwise. Even if I may not agree with somebody, I'll still have the respect of the people I'm talking to, because they know that I understand, and that they are being heard.

If you can utilize your talents all the time, go for it (especially if it's a job). Don't feel short changed. Don't feel like you have to accomplish something because of those gifts. Let it be a way for you to be noticed and recognized (without seeking that alone).

With talent comes envy. With talent comes the fact that people want to stretch you much further than you can go without feeling broken. And with that feeling comes a sense of uselessness, a sense of heck, being used...and being discarded.

Right now, there's the possibility that some people are taking advantage of me, in a way that I never would have imagined. I won't say who, but it's making me realize that sometimes, when you try to help somebody, give your heart, but don't waste your time either. There are cases when giving somebody too much help weakens them, and makes them too dependent on you.

I don't feel, used, per se, but I do feel like people sometimes desire for more attention than they ought to be merited, and well, they just ought to sit down, shut up, and listen...to themselves, to their surroundings, to the monsterous beings they've become.

People can only whine for so long before they get on their feet and do something about it, and people can only listen for so long because they realize that their help isn't going to do anything, or it's doing more harm than good.

So for today, and just for today, how about this?

I don't give a sh*t.

Get a life.

Live a life.

A Desire for the Willingness and Ability to Change

Blog Location: The House on Genesee

Song Mood - Brandy - Almost Doesn't Count

You know, maybe I should admit what I feel. Or maybe I shouldn't. Seems like when you write a journal, you want to be able to reveal everything...but not every thing.

I got a good point from a friend's blog today. If my thoughts were really that important, so much that I needed to write an essay everytime, somebody would have heard my thoughts already. I am not saying that there's no point to write what I write, but well, I guess there's times where you need to cut the fat and spare people the details.

As I have reached the ripe old age of 22, I've determined that there is no weakness for longing for somebody, or revealing what you feel about somebody or something. On the contrary, it seems like this is the perfect time to find your voice, to blare out what you feel, and to solidify your beliefs.

I notice a little bit of swagger inside of me. Somehow, I don't feel as reluctant as I was. I'm thinking that maybe I'm taking a big step in realizing that I have a little more strength and a little more confidence in myself than I thought. Finally, the advice I've been telling my friends is beginning to make sense to an important person: myself.

I find myself caring less about how people perceive me, and more about what I want to represent. I worked hard to be liked by a lot of people, and while I feel that I didn't sacrifice who I was as much as others did for that feeling of popularity, I realized that my heart was broken more times than I needed. The ones who are most important in my life were the ones I didn't show enough compassion for, and well, I'm regretting that.

When I think about how much I am loved by many people, and most importantly, my Lord and my Savior, I cannot help but feel thankful for being forgiven for all of my transgressions. Getting liked by a girl and getting accepted by a dental school don't seem to matter as much when I think in those perspectives.

It doesn't matter as much now when I find my jaw dropping after seeing a girl, or when I tell somebody what my personal beliefs are. I'm more willing and able to do some things that I thought I couldn't do. Like smiling and winking at a girl and waiting for her to turn her head away from me, and even if she doesn't, at least I can act as if my self-confidence isn't broken by it...because it isn't.

Whoa, I never thought I could say that when I entered college!

I'm thinking that some of the advice that I've received about falling in love applies to a different group of people that I'm probably not that attracted to. I mean, I'm obviously able to make a lasting impression on a lot of girls that I meet; for the most part, one that describes an insightful, driven, high energy individual who doesn't have to succumb to what other people think all the time. I might be able to stand for who God is while I'm at it too.

And maybe, just maybe, will I not be misunderstood or perceived as someone whom I'm not based on a few cursory things that I say. That would truly be perfection.

Perhaps my singleness will not change immediately, but you know, it'll come in time. What I feel will be revealed, piece by piece, layer by layer. I will stand on the fact that well, I don't have to be a wimp to people anymore. I just need to be a servant to God.

A Song for You

Verse I:
If I were to write a love song,
would comparing you to the moon be wrong?

You glow in the night,
guiding me with your light,
I'd never get lost without you.

But the moon has 4 quarters, I rarely see it whole.
And for me to see it all, a month of my life it stole.
Its color is gray, save for some blue.
But you make me feel otherwise, that is true. :-)

Chorus:
I could swoon every woman with the pen as I write
But such love is nothing, I wouldn't feel right.
If dad gave me some money and wished me good luck
I'd be like the chicken and go run amuck.
All I can pray to you instead of success
Is to make me a servant, no more and no less.

Verse II
If I were to write a love song,
would comparing you to my lover be wrong?

Her hugs I can feel, her kisses are like soft rain.
But trusting her alone, salvation I can't gain.


Bridge:
Why can't I describe you, or make you a thing?
I just want to write a song for me to sing.
You aren't like any other, my ship and my rudder,
More words cannot define you, just Alpha and Omega.