tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64109610500181767242024-03-19T07:20:08.089-05:00Balian's ArchiveThe random thoughts of Balian Valantine on God, life, politics, and the arts.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-79970262344354820152010-05-10T11:56:00.002-05:002010-05-10T12:11:44.204-05:00Coffee Shop GossipI sit outside a coffee shop reading with my girl. A middle aged woman, overly tan for the first week of may, in a pair of shorts much more fitting for someone twenty years her junior, steps out of a car and walks towards the front door. As she reaches the threshold, she pauses mid step. I wonder what she possibly could be doing in such an awkward posture. However, my fiance informs me that she is straining her ear to listen to our conversation. What she heard must have disappointed her. We were reading from the book of Peter.<br /><br />I sit inside a coffee shop typing on my laptop. Across the room sits a middle aged woman, overly tan for this time of year and speaking in hushed tones with a an overweight woman in her twenties. As I observe, I hear, "So Jan and Rob broke up, huh? I never would have thought!" The look on her wrinkled face is reminiscent of those overly tan girls back in high school... minus the wrinkles. She sits and talks and talks about high school events, i.e. "I can't believe they canceled the J.V. game! There were so many cute high school boys I could have flirted with."<br /><br />As I sit here, I realize, first, this is quite a disgusting ritual. Sit at the coffee house, eat a black bean salad (gotta watch out for cottage cheese thighs) and mingle with the lives of a couple of teenagers. Poor kids. They have enough things to worry about (and be insecure of) than wondering what Mrs. Jones is talking about. Why does she care? What is her reason? Are these just the activities of a bored, middle-aged housewife?<br /><br />Or does this do something for her? In a sad, strange way, does all this tanning and being in the know with Jr. High drama make her feel young? Why not embrace your age, and use the things you have learned in your life to help better the younger generation, rather than gossiping about them. Of course, if you've been living in high school for the last thirty years, there probably is little help you can offer.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-79035355821359680422010-02-28T06:42:00.003-06:002010-02-28T07:01:59.088-06:00Decaying Legacy<div style="text-align: left;">There is a certain beauty in decay, decline rust. A certain wonderment in all the peeling paint, broken glass, off-hinged doors. This world breeds a certain curiosity. The little clues that remain, a broken chair, a rusted cart, any assorted rubbish feeds the mind’s wonder. The absence of life and its allusions makes the mind drift wildly into deeper wonderment. This is where stories are born. Who made their abode in these dusty chambers? What dramas occurred in this very room? What were the faces, what were the circumstances? How has the drama changed throughout the life of this structure? What has its walls seen? Perhaps the stories the mind invents are superior to reality. In the mind, however, the creative supersedes reality. Why know exactly what happened? Often it serves the mind better to imagine. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD23GM3ExbTENhe4-dXxPkBby0xdynIFAIoNKgajciIS3At3UtQl7AUwVnPMH-jroi3g-4M33ncAiX8mCE85vLNPYyM2WA6zN4F516jcOOzF51Db2KrSRi40enkicZF2RJz8QzfkU6TAO6/s1600-h/urban+exploration.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD23GM3ExbTENhe4-dXxPkBby0xdynIFAIoNKgajciIS3At3UtQl7AUwVnPMH-jroi3g-4M33ncAiX8mCE85vLNPYyM2WA6zN4F516jcOOzF51Db2KrSRi40enkicZF2RJz8QzfkU6TAO6/s320/urban+exploration.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443278298538172418" border="0" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">How decay takes on a life of its own. It creates its own culture. Nature makes its brush strokes with decay. It paints a picture upon urban walls. You will be forgotten, it says. You will become me once again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Men remember other men by what they leave behind. Every man leaves a legacy; whether or not that legacy is righteous or evil, they nonetheless leave something behind. However, the lifetime of legacy is a short one. As history works, it forgets what it was working on. Legacies crumble like the buildings of the men who created them. Civilizations fail. Nature bulldozes it over, clears the lot for the next buyer. Or conqueror. Legacies crumble. Histories powder into dust. Civilizations into disarray.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And one day, they excavate. The past is rediscovered and reinvented. Civilization takes a few crumbled broken pieces and tries to create a story.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And once again enters the mind. It alone can find the answers. Whether they be true or false, the mind creates the story.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And that is myth. The mind is an incredible thing to waste. Did Romans wonder as I?</p>Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-49804604776628450922010-02-24T01:16:00.007-06:002010-02-24T01:44:57.155-06:00Ain't No GraveRick Rubin is a genius.<br /><br />February 23 marked the release of what probably will be the final studio album of Johnny Cash. Rubin, who produced the record, brings Cash back from the grave. The title is certainly appropriate for this album, released seven years after Cash's death.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy/Image/cashaintnograve%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 194px;" src="http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy/Image/cashaintnograve%281%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />When I put my headphones in and listened to the first track, I did get a strange feeling. After the man being dead for so long and not hearing anything new in years, it was odd hearing his voice in a new way. Odd, but very welcome.<br /><br />The title track, "Ain't No Grave," is by far the best song on the album. Rubin's work is evident the most in the first few tracks, and he does a great job in choosing the proper accompaniment to Cash's voice. Shaking shackle chains are used to keep the tempo, the very chains that can not "hold the body down."<br /><br />There are a few other strong songs in "Redemption Day" and "For the Good Times." Another track of note is the last song Cash ever wrote, "II Corinthians 15:55," a song exemplifying the power Christ has given his followers over death. "O, death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory?" Cash sings out with confidence. Other albums in the American Recordings series contained spiritual songs, but not nearly so many as "Ain't No Grave." It is a fitting epitaph, however, to a hard life, and it is noteworthy that both the final songs Cash recorded and wrote were about overcoming death and seeing his Savior.<br /><br />In reality, the album is seems more of an extension of American V, not surprising since they both contain selections from the same recording sessions. American VI stays true to the standard of the previous albums, however. While not quite as well done as V, American VI gives us a final listen, a glimpse into Cash's final months. Definitely worth the buy.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-8368975267011569402010-02-16T15:41:00.003-06:002010-02-16T15:56:10.642-06:00Scribble... Scratch that. Sweat... Scratch that... Bleed it outSometimes inspiration flows out of control (think Kubla Kahn). Sometimes, you have to rely on you to inspire yourself. <br /><br />Sometimes it is really hard to inspire yourself.<br /><br />Like right now. I couldn't even tell you how often that in order to write something, I have to... write something. ANYTHING. I have to start writing about practically nothing to get myself to write something. Often, I have to work through heaps and heaps of trash before my mind creates something remotely creative and useful.<br /><br />It is interesting how this principle plays out in many parts of life. In order to have a stronger relationship with the person you love, you have to work at it. If things have been rough, in order to make them better, sometimes you just have to do. <br /><br />Do something.<br />Show up.<br />Do anything.<br /><br />Work your way through your problems. Don't sit and sulk. Buy her flowers Buy her chocolate. Buy her flowers AND chocolate (though honestly, you don't even have to necessarily do that - though I would suggest it). But just show up. Talk things through. It is only as awkward or unhappy as you make it.<br /><br />Before we succeed at anything, we have to show we are willing to put forth an effort. God will not change my life for me. I ahve to show HIm I want change. I ahve to show Him I <span style="font-style:italic;">want</span> change. I need to show Him desire so He can create a greater desire in me. <br /><br />Doing something.<br />Reading His Word.<br />Letting Him speak.<br /><br />Things do not come naturally. The only time that real love, devotion, and inspiration strike are <span style="font-style:italic;">after</span> the time of sweat, toil, and frustration. Things only come naturally as we have made them natural through working things out. <br /><br />So scribble on some paper.<br />Make a phone call.<br />And most importantly... Get on your knees. <br /><br />This is Balian. That's all I have to say about that.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-17062227258700886622010-02-16T15:36:00.002-06:002010-02-16T15:40:06.391-06:00Existence OUTSIDE of Space ItselfIn the beginning God created not only the earth, but also the heavens. The heavens. Everything above us. From our earth’s sky to the solar system to the galaxy to the universe, God did not start by creating the things that fill these spaces. Before the beginning, God lived outside of space. <br /><br />Wrap your mind around that! <br /><br />There was no space; God existed and dwelt literally outside of nothing. <br /><br />As human beings, we create art on a canvas, film, or paper. <br /><br />God, however, created the canvas itself; yet not only the canvas, but also the space in which the canvas sits. <br /><br />Only then did he begin painting.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-43236284055327794992009-02-18T13:56:00.002-06:002009-02-18T13:58:55.719-06:00Freshly Squeezed Orange JuiceYes. That is exactly the last random thing that my Gen Psych professor said. And yes, I am taking this opportunity to blog during in class. It has nothing to do with how interesting I find psychology. It has everything to do with how boring my teacher is.<br /><br />However, I must say, it was quite entertaining when he squeaked while speaking on puberty.<br /><br />Anyways, this is just me taking an excuse to blog something, because I haven't done it in forever. Just you know to get back into it. Expect more... hopefully soon.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-45328596163743724092008-10-15T00:49:00.002-05:002008-10-15T00:56:19.880-05:00Too good to be trueIt is time that I get used to this. Instead I am sure I will continue to personally shoot myself in the foot by listening to my heart instead of my head. I just went through three of the best weeks of quite possibly not only this year but the last few it feels, only to be trodden to shreds by one phone call. Where do we go from here. So very, very confused. Jesus Christ forgave me, however. And I have hurt just as much as anyone. Jesus would forgive. Jesus, however, is both good and true. Amazing!<br /><br />Its, Balian, and truly I don't know what to say right now. Imagine that?Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-79290320962701168182008-10-15T00:45:00.003-05:002008-10-15T00:56:27.401-05:00AlcoholLiquor. Alcohol. I hate it. I've struggled with it before, yet it is not my personal struggles that make me hate it so. I truly now believe it is Satan's way of destruction. I did not believe this strongly about it until recently. It truly ruins lives. I thought that maybe it was okay in social circles. Clearly it is not.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-81478231809129851072008-03-02T00:34:00.003-06:002008-03-02T00:42:15.381-06:00Zodiac, Three TenWell...I knew it was time to catch up on a little film.<br /><br />And so I have been blown out of the water...twice.<br /><br />Just got finished watching Zodiac. Intense psychological thriller. And a true story to boot. I was chewing my fingernails. This is a film that should have won best screenplay at least.<br /><br />3:10 to Yuma was incredible. True morality story, Russel Crowe's character is amazing. Seriously an amazingly acted performance by Crowe. You've got Christian Bale too. Also an awesome actor.<br /><br />Well, I'm really tired, otherwise I would discourse more. But anyways, here are my ratings.<br /><br />Zodiac: 8.5/10<br /><br />3:10 to Yuma: 8.5/10Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-61218738448596582922008-02-26T13:09:00.006-06:002008-02-26T13:46:37.572-06:00On MoronsAren't there a whole lot in the world?<br /><br />Well, I guess I'm not being specific enough. Aren't there a lot in politics?<br /><br />Oh yeah, and education. Can't forget Norman Finkelstein (especially with a last name like that). Moron professor from DePaul University who took his idiocy to a new level:<br /><br />Treason.<br /><br />So this man who was teaching in a big university evidently supports terrorism. Not unlike the hundreds of other professors who support communism and Hillary Clinton(also treasonous). He recently told a television station in Lebanon that many Americans don't share his viewpoint of Hezbollah.<br /><br />Yeah, that's because we're not guilty of treason. You know if we were the 'uncivilized' patriotic Americans of yesteryear this man would be swinging from a tree. And I would probably be one of the first to find a rope. Yeah, the dude supports an organization that is labeled a terrorist group by every country except the one he decided to do an interview in. I hope he stays in Lebanon and the Israelis get him the next time they are attacked by this 'political' organization. <br />Yeah, they may be a political organization, but also a terrorist one.<br /><br />Isn't it funny how the two get confused?<br /><br />I forgot to talk about another political group that seems to, if not enjoy terrorism, certainly not care too much about the problems it causes. You heard me, I'm talking about the Dems in the House and the Senate. The morons who are delaying<br />the Foreign Surveilance Intelligence Act. Yeah, the same morons who want to cripple America through the Feingold-Reid Iraq resolution. Basically the only Dem Senator I have any respect for is Joseph Lieberman. And that is because he is the closest Democrat to a Republican and has the courage to actually crossover on partyline issues. As we speak he is encouraging the moron Dems to follow him(read more at <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/urgent_queue/index.html#3bb81299,2008-02-26">http://www.foxnews.com/urgent_queue/index.html#3bb81299,2008-02-26</a>). This may be the first time I say this about a Democrat; May he succeed.<br /><br />Its been Balian, and that's all I have to say about that.<br /><br />To read the Fox News article on Finkelstein, go to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,332360,00.html">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,332360,00.html</a>Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-86385632368301248952008-02-20T12:26:00.003-06:002008-02-20T12:39:58.001-06:00Osama, er, I mean ObamaSometimes the mistakes that people make on the air are very, very stupid, sometimes uncalled for, often inappropriate.<br /><br />Sometimes they are not. Sometimes, they're just spitting the truth, and I think its funny.<br /><br />NBC News made a little mistake the other day. When posting a story about the words battle going on between Clinton and Obama, the news station posted a photo of Mr. B. Husein Obama.<br /><br />In all honesty, I've never seen a better likeness.<br /><br />Yep, there in all his glory on the screen was Osama bin Ladin himself. Under the title Obama. I mean, some mistakes are inexusable; this one is just downright hilarious. NBC News denies they have a sense of humor, but there is no doubt that God does in allowing this to happen on National TV. That's great.<br /><br />Now that the truth has finally been exposed about Mr. Obama (sp.?) and his true identitiy, I think you can rest assured that we hopefully will find ourselves with a candidate in November with the same values as America.<br /><br />All joking aside, McCain really better keep thinking about Condy. Might be the only way to save America from falling into repression for four years of destruction.<br /><br />Oh, I really wish Newt Gingrich would have ran.<br /><br />Information for this story recieved from <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=cp_fpfs1pmkq14">http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=cp_fpfs1pmkq14 .</a>Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-19497758271195181232008-02-19T17:44:00.005-06:002008-02-19T17:51:14.002-06:00You better have made your way to the pollsWisconsin State Primaries...ah yes. Well, this was my first time to vote for anything larger than town government elections. I had to register with the Watertwown, WI, precinct, because I was lazy and did not vote absentee. Yes, I know, I should have. I will re-register for DeForest as soon as possible.<br /><br />Who to vote for is probably a question that many people asked themselves...I mean, Huck, the most conservative candidate doesn't really have a chance. However, the way the system works, if McCain doesn't reach 1191 delegates, there's a possibility that he will not be chosen by the Convention. Very unlikely, however. Still, to appease my conciense i voted for Huckabee.<br /><br />Honestly, assuming the Republican frontrunner is the man chosen, the only way for McCain to beat a candidate like Obama is to choose a very conservative running mate. Huckabee would be good, but Fred Thompson would be better. <br /><br />Now, what I think would be very interesting would be the first African-American woman V.P. That's right, Condy. Ms. Rice would definitely be a solid choice. She's conservative, stable, someone to get excited about. I would be very happy if McCain chose her. It is a very interesting idea to choose the first black and woman V.P. A good way to combat either Obama or Clinton if the American people are so thirsty for firsts.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-36218359505518667642008-02-14T20:53:00.000-06:002008-02-14T20:54:32.838-06:00Weapons of FateJust can’t escape it anywhere you go<br />Follows you around, you try not to let it show<br />But inside you’re burning, you’re longing<br />The jealousy is eating you, an acid of the soul<br />You know you shouldn’t be like this, your tired of the fight,<br />Wanna hear something good, something soothing to your soul tonight.<br />But you can’t escape it, the problem is following you like a ghost of your soul.<br />And yet it is tangible, it is so real, and you want to leave, but find your strength is gone.<br />You can’t move, you can’t leave, you want to, but you also want to know what is going down.<br />But it plays out, it plays out in front of your own eyes, but you’re frozen,<br />You can’t move. And it kills you.<br />But what is the worst part?<br />The worst part is definitely the lies. The lies are the acid. The lies are the knife, the pistol.<br />And your soul can’t escape these weapons of fate.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-30906271452980963782008-02-14T18:58:00.004-06:002008-02-14T19:23:04.632-06:00How to Get a Girl in Four Easy StepsHappy Black Thursday to all! I definitely did the right thing and decked myself out in black dress pants, black collared shirt, a black tie, a black belt, and black shoes. It's the only way to roll.<br /><br />Sometime today I had an epiphany (Smee would say an apostraphe). Girls do not date nice guys.<br /><br />It's true. You know it's true and it's sad. So today we will talk about how to get a girl.<br /><br />Step 1: Be very sneaky and manipulative. Make sure that the way you win her heart is a decietful one. They seem to like this. The more elaborate the lie, the more likely they are to believe it, the more likely they are to agree to the first date.<br /><br />Step 2: Treat her like she is just an object. This seems to be something that works very well. It is unbelievable how many people will date a girl based on looks alone. Of course, this is where deciet comes in a little more. Make sure you lie to her and tell her that the reason you care so much about her is because of the way she laughs, looks at you, makes you smile, all those sappy reasons that you don't believe. They love to hear that.<br /><br />Step 3: Make sure you hang out with other girls behind her back. Keep your options open. You never know when something better may come along and you have to be ready to snatch up that opportunity when the moment arises. Keep your cell phone filled with other girls phone numbers. You need to have a backup plan once you get bored of her. Of course, cheating is a forgivable sin for many girls, so if this is something you feel the need for, go right ahead. She'll never know, and if she finds out she won't care, and if she does care, your cell phone is full of other options!<br /><br />Step 4: When things start going bad, lie. Always lie. Lying is stellar for making a relationship draw out for a longer time. This will enable you with enough time to get what you want, and then throw it away.<br /><br />Well, there it is. I'm telling you, that's how girls often get treated. And yet they stay. And overlook the nice guy, who quite frankly, doesn't care to stoop to this level. But he will allow to be treaded on whenever the opportunity arises.<br /><br />It's Balian, ya'll, and that's all I have to say about that.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-79634489045699574342008-02-13T15:04:00.004-06:002008-02-14T19:22:45.232-06:00Picky PickyThere are good reasons for being a picky person. For example, you only get screwed over every other day rather than every five minutes. Now you may only get burned half the time, but when the burning sensation comes, it burns hard, and it burns long. Do you feel more foolish? Maybe, but that won't stop me from laughing at roommates who have a new interest daily.<br /><br />"So bro, who's the woman of the week?"<br /><br />You roll your eyes, but it is true. Then you come to school with me, and you laugh, because you know it is SO true. So in that case, I suppose they get burned more often but its more of a sunburn than an actual melting crisper.<br /><br />"So bro, who's the flesh-searer of the week," may be a more appropriate statement.<br /><br />As far as music is concerned today, I actually am going to have to commend Rascall Flatts this time. "Winner at a Losing Game" lulled me to sleep last night, and it actually isn't a bad song once you actually think about it. I would say it applies more to the picky ones, like me, who lose less often, but harder(like the Patriots this year). But I suppose it could apply to the sappy GOW people as well. Other than that, not a bad song, their best single since "What Hurts the Most."<br /><br />Now there's a good song. That one actually got me to stop listening to only mainstream radio and start delving into the world of country. Don't be scared. It is always good to broaden your musical horizons (well, maybe not always...but I don't really consider Young Jeezy or Justin Timberlake musicians, so I guess the statement still stands).<br /><br />No seriously, country catches you. You start off listening to mainstream radio and you hear a song like "What Hurts the Most." You're thinking, "Alright, it's a little twangy, but not bad. I guess the Dixie Chicks aren't a good representation of country music, because this song didn't suck!" So you're flipping through stations and you hear "What Hurts the Most" and you stop to listen to it, because its catchy and applies to everyone. You find out, however, that it is a country station, and you don't associate with that stuff, so you keep flipping.<br /><br />Next time you hear it on country radio, you actually listen to the next song. You're amused, you're thinking "Wow this is hick." But, for some unknown reason you finish listening to the song.<br /><br />Ya, you're basically about to get hooked.<br /><br />Find "What Hurts the Most" again...and this time you are singing along to the song after it. Pretty soon, you get an epiphany... this music actually has some basis. You begin to see past the twanginess and some of the cheesier songs, and you realize...<br /><br />It's about stories.<br /><br />That's right, stories. Stories that are more than about love and relationships, though there are plenty of those. There are deeper stories, roots stories, stories about America, stories about God, stories about Patriotism, stories about family, reminiscence of time past. The music doesn't really matter as much as the content 0f these stories. The ballad, the story song, plays with more than your emotions. The ballad is about your life...about the life of anyone. The average Joe. You. And that's why you find you enjoy it. You can relate, because you're hearing about the things you care about, not drugs, pimps, and hoes. This music has substance, not trashy undertones. This music is American. It is everyman.<br /><br />Wow...I just went from relationships to the premise of country music...That was intense.<br /><br />Its Balian, and that's all I gots to say about that.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-17350738766220009742008-02-13T00:01:00.000-06:002008-02-13T00:02:00.554-06:00P. S. The girl is always right somehow'Nuff said.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-88977032152906321232008-02-12T23:38:00.004-06:002008-02-14T19:21:52.117-06:00Pay No Heed to the Gigantic Lump Forming in my Throat...Thursday is definitely black colors day. My sisters said they would do it, so I think it is time to start the revolution. Pink and red are gay. That's just the way it is.<br /><br />Wow. I'm pretty sure I just contradicted myself. I think I own three pink shirts, several pink ties.<br /><br />Oops. Well, pink on thursday is pretty queer at least. My sisters are awesome. Little rebels. I think they're actually teaching me on this one.<br /><br />Okay, I suppose my sister is right. Maybe this awful holiday can be salvaged by showing your care to friends and family. That still doesn't mean I plan on wearing pink. Black is an awesome color, and one which, I feel, I can roll quite well with. Not gonna lie though, my best shirt/tie combination with my black suit contains red. Doh!<br /><br />On a more serious note. What better a week to turn down that person who wants to be your special someone than Red Week...or black Thursday. You know, I think I know why red is a color commonly used. Its the color of blood...lots of people get torn up this week. Red is the color of rejection. Bloody Valentine...thank you Good Charlotte. Two weeks of being ignored is definitely not enough. Better to let it go with the whole I don't think we should be friends anymore...well, actually we can, we just can't hang out.<br /><br />Are you kidding me? How do you be friends and not hang out...this one gets me. But girls, if you do use this one, make sure the guy to which you do agrees. Yes, he actually agrees to bask in this "ignorance" for a little while longer. But still say hi.<br /><br />This is Balian, and that's all I have to say about that.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-76583950666536097252008-02-11T11:54:00.001-06:002008-02-14T19:21:32.994-06:00Been ignored recently? Sucks don't it?"Some chances come I really wish I didn’t miss.<br />You’re doing things my mind just can’t afford.<br />Whoever said that ignorance is bliss<br />Has obviously never been ignored."<br /><br />- Balian<br /><br /><br />And in all honesty, that's all I have to say about that. You know who you are, now fix the problem, please.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-56378925482481662882008-02-10T15:35:00.002-06:002008-02-14T19:23:28.236-06:00Valentine's Day: The ConspiracyLet's talk about Valentine's Day... Okay, I'll talk about Valentine's Day, you'll take my opinion, and if you don't like it...you're one of those people who sucks.<br /><br />Basically Valentine's Day was created by Hershey's, Hallmark, and florists. I am completely convinced that one day the candy, card, and flower industries all got together, noticed that profits had taken a plunge, and then went on an evil crusade to create another commercial holiday. Thus Valentine's day was born, and with it came the happy people, the indifferent, and the angry/bitter.<br /><br />Uh-oh, profits are down. Let's create a holiday to boost candy sales.<br /><br />It's a bloody conspiracy!<br /><br />Not to mention also possibly one of the most hated days on the calender, second only to February 29th (created by Universities for an extra day of classes). Remember in Kindergarten when your teacher told you to bring Valentines to class? You brought them, even made a special one for the girl you had a crush on since you entered the classroom the first time... And then she comes in and gives one to each of her classmates.<br /><br />Except you!<br /><br />Now I know how the grinch must have felt. Honestly, this holiday is pointless. Just another day for rejection... Let's face it, Valentine's Day is an unhealthy holiday. Spikes in cardiovascular failures and suicides are caused yearly by candy-clogged arteries and broken hearts. This is a holiday that should be done away with.<br /><br />Maybe I will sing a different tune someday...until then, I'm riding with the conspiracy theory.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-29915873669690809762007-11-09T00:48:00.001-06:002008-02-14T19:20:40.734-06:00Everything is FineIs it possible for this man's voice to possibly get any lower? Or for the music he writes to have any more depth? The cover song "Everything is Fine" certainly may be one of the best Turner songs yet. The deep tones he hits are incredible. The next few tracks are pretty good, one of which is "Firecracker," but I was not over impressed, good as the material is. Then I heard the songs "One Woman Man" and "Soulmate," which describe the perfection that love is supposed to be. But the depth of the album at this point had only been scratched. I just finished sampling the song "It's Just the Way He was Raised." I didn't think too much of the lyrics until the final few verses, when they reveal Whom the song is about. You think it is some southern country boy, when in reality it is the One who set the bar for what country boys should act like (or all mankind for that matter). All I can say is that the chills are just going away as I finish the album with another fine tune, "South Carolina Low Country."<br /><br />Turner has done more in this album than just play with my emotions. He has broken the point of emotions, and spoken to the soul. "Your Man" was a good followup to the awesome "Long Black Train," but "Everything is Fine" takes the cake. Country music should reevaluate itself and realize that roots music will not only speak to people, but also sell records!Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410961050018176724.post-31229524212419217902007-11-05T23:21:00.002-06:002008-02-14T19:20:23.174-06:00When time is forgottenHow long it has been since I was lost. The true nature of my virtues has been tarnished, withered with the wind. Great men have known me, some only to cast away my friendship to the depths of their soul. Some have eradicated me from their being completely. Leadership knows me not. I am dead. Gone.<br /><br />I was character. Find me if you can. I am irreplacable.Balianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09947968335702293398noreply@blogger.com0